The Right Reasons
by Spriggan
Summary: This is not your typical retelling of Kenshin's story. How was the battousai born? And why did he marry Tomoe? Maybe it was an accident. Maybe both were an accident. Who are Kaoru's parents? Magic is in the air... literally.
1. An Interesting Beginning

Disclaimer: Sadly Neither Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X or Harry Potter belong to me. If they did I would be rich. It's a good thing I'm not because I've already stored up my treasure in heaven. I don't need to make money off of Harry Potter. Ha! Beat that J.K. Rowling. No, just kidding. You know I love all of you.

8

Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2

8

Kaoru's progression home on the wide sunlit street was for the most part in a straight line, that is, she didn't stray off of the main road, but wasn't exactly in a hurry, as the late July sun felt good on her back and the blue far above her was accented only with feathered pony tails. Besides, she was in good company, giggling with her friends at anything and everything. They were still dressed in their formal school kimonos. Together they resembled a group of blue butterflies as they danced down the street from home to home, always leaving one of their number behind to alight on her house like on a flower. Despite the war, the world was still a wonderful place to live. Indeed the word, war, held no meaning to the children of Hiroshima. They gave no thought to the mistakes of desperate countries and none at all to the future beyond the weekend.

"Goodbye Tomoko! I'll see you Monday."

"Bye bye Kaoru-chan!"

Only a year ago Kaoru's mother would have walked her home, laughing along with Kaoru's friends as if she herself were only four years old too, but that was fading, though it would never fully be forgotten.

'I'm always the last one left walking home. I always have to be alone.' Kaoru pouted mentally, but perked up at the sight of her mother's old friend Mrs. Tendo, across the street. 'My mother always called her Sayaki-chan' Kaoru remembered after a moment. 'When is Mommy coming home? She went away and never came back. Sigh. I hope she will come home soon. I can't remember what her face looks like…Oh well.'

"Hello Mrs. Tendo!" Bellowed Kaoru from across the not-so-busy street.

"Hello Kaoru-chan." Mrs Tendo crossed the street and walked along with Kaoru. "How is your father?"

"He is well thank you, but a little sad I think. I make sure he eats well."

Mrs. Tendo laughed and gave Kaoru a motherly smile. "You tell him I said Hello alright? We all miss Kaori-chan."

"Yes Ma'am!" said Kaoru with clear bright eyes. In a twirl of ebony hair Kaoru twisted to see her home directly off the main road. Hardly able to wait for the much loved sight of her father Kaoru skipped at an alarming pace to the walkway leading to her house. In an afterthought Kaoru popped back around the wooden gate and waved a tiny hand.

"Sayonara Tendo-san"

"Sayonara Kaoru-chan." echoed the woman kindly.

Mrs. Tendo paused in reflection of the tiny girl. 'She looks so much like her mother, so beautiful. I can see her father in her too. She is strong, very strong. Little Kaoru can make even the coldest heart love her,' with this last thought Mrs. Tendo turned both her gaze and her mind to her own family awaiting her return at home.

"Tadaima Otou-chan," said Kaoru to her father standing in the walkway. He waited here for Kaoru like he had for the past two years when she came home from school. Only now she came home by herself. This fact stung her father every day when his daughter arrived home without his beautiful wife by her side. It still felt like she was alive somewhere, but she couldn't be. Tatsu had seen her wither away with his own eyes.

"Konbanwa Kaoru-chan"

"Otou! Otou! Look at what I learned today!"

"What did you learn little firefly?" Said Tatsu as he kneeled to scoop Kaoru into his arms.

"This!" Kaoru pulled out her wand and held it in a steady grip. "Lumos!" A little light appeared at the tip of the wand and faded slowly. "It was a lot brighter at school!" she said, disappointed.

Her father laughed, "Kaoru you were inside and it was dark. Of course the light seemed brighter."

"How did you know I was inside daddy? "

"What a silly question Kaoru. You know that I am a seer."

"Daaaaddy I'm five years old and I still know that you don't see little things like that!"

He laughed again. "Alright, alright I know it was dark in the classroom because that is how I learned the light spell when I was your age. It makes it easier to see when the room is dark." He then paused, apparently in some type of contemplation..."I have a surprise for you Kaoru." he said finally.

"What is it daddy?" The sun shining into Kaoru's eyes reflected a cloudless sky. Her father always had the best surprises! No other father could compare with hers. Why, he could even beat up everyone else's father if he wanted to, but he never did cause he was too nice. He's the…the smartest, strongest, bestest, er, most wonderful daddy ever.

"I will give you your surprise when you go to bed tonight. Let us go inside to have dinner, shall we? It's your favorite Kaoru. Tatsu smiled softly.

"Yeahh! Omake," squealed Kaoru. "This is like a birthday!" she squirmed around in her father's arms and he set her gently on the ground.

Little Kaoru ran inside as fast as her small stride would permit. Behind her, her father's smile melted from his face and he sadly listened to his daughter's joy as she laughed delightedly at the smell of her favorite food.

'Kaoru, You look so much like your mother that I almost feel as if she's with me... almost.' Tatsu stood from where he knelt to embrace his daughter moments earlier and with a new smile to mask his sad reflections, he strode dazedly into the house that did not feel like his own anymore, without Kaori.

As the sun died in a blaze of color over the horizon, the moon rose to take its place. Dinner was long since over and a drowsy eyed Kaoru was led by the hand to her room.

Kaoru climbed onto her futon wearily, where her father tucked her in, as if tonight were any ordinary night.

"Kaoru I will give you your surprise now."

A previously sleepy Kaoru stopped rubbing her eyes in mid yawn and looked at her father with rapt attention and a lot of not-so-well concealed excitement. Her father smiled and with a chuckle, took his bokken and waved it over Kaoru's head.

"Lumoschromasia" After the last tones of Tatsu's deep voice faded from the room a multitude of little colored lights appeared, dancing and twirling about the room like fairies.

His daughter's eyes reflected every pinpoint of light as she examined each in turn.

"Thank you daddy this is the best surprise EVER!" Kaoru finally burst out in a fit of girlish energy. She undid all the tucking in by jumping up to hug her father. He smiled sadly and hugged her back. Then he gently placed her back onto her futon.

"Kaoru, you know why I give you these surprises?"

"Because you love me papa. What a silly thing to ask." Kaoru knew by now how to answer this question, because he told her every day how much he loved her even if he didn't always say it out loud.

"That's right Kaoru. I love you more than anything. No matter what happens I love you. You will always be my daughter."

"I love you too daddy," said Kaoru, confused at his odd behavior.

'Usually Daddy sounds happy when he talks to me, but now he's sad.' Kaoru watched her father with an oddly perceptive gaze. "Are you sad papa?" she queried, always one to voice her thoughts.

"Yes dear, I am." Tatsu watched the ground so Kaoru wouldn't see that she was the real reason for his depression.

"Because you miss Mommy?" Kaoru tried to catch her father's gaze by leaning forward into his field of vision, but he looked down even more so his dark bangs blocked her view.

"...yes Kaoru I miss Mommy," came Tatsu's voice after a deep silence.

"Don't worry papa you will see her again in heaven!" Kaoru smiled brightly, hoping that it would cheer her father.

"Yes Kaoru you are right, I will see Mommy soon." Finally he was able to look into his daughter's eyes. "Oyasumi little firefly, my Kaoru… my angel."

"Oyasumi Otou-san. I love you." said the little girl as she curled back up underneath the covers and closed her expressive eyes.

"...Love you sweetheart," replied Tatsu absently after a pause.

The disillusioned man stayed by his daughter's bed and watched her drift into the sleep of a child. She slept without worries or doubts if tomorrow will indeed come.

The fairy lights still floated through the air. To Tatsu they seemed like an extension of his daughter, bright and so very alive that the world became a more beautiful place just because she existed to give it light. There was one other person who lit Tatsu's world and for months now it had seemed a darker place because she was gone. Kaoru's father took a fairy light in his hand and looked deep into it, as if he could see memories there.

"My last surprise to you Kaoru. Goodbye" Her father took his bokken from his side and muttered a few words. Kaoru fell into a deeper sleep, Her breathing slowing and becoming more rhythmic. Tatsu picked her up as if she where made of glass and with a 'Crack' disappeared from his home and apparated to a dim room of a European townhouse. Tatsu gingerly handed his daughter to young witch with bottlenose glasses who stood waiting for his appearance.

"Thank you Tatsu, I will watch over her as if she were my own."

He smiled "Yes Sybill I know you will. I just wish my brother and your sister were still here to care for her also,… but you will do a fine job. Kaoru is a loving child. She resembles her mother in that aspect." He forced a smile onto his face.

"I believe it," said Sybil enthusiastically, "Your wife was a beautiful kind woman. She cared for me when my parents were gone... but Kaoru is like you also. She is stronger than Kaori. She will live where her mother failed."

Tatsu smiled faintly, but didn't speak his next thought out loud. 'I won't have to bear the loss of my daughter for long. At least here I know she will be safe. As long as everyone thinks she is with me when…' He looked up quickly at his sister-in-law, who was beginning to look suspicious of Tatsu's odd expression.

"Goodbye Sybill." I hope that she will not burden you too much." He slid a mask into place over his worries.

"She'll never be a burden Tatsu," said the witch sincerely, "I'll see you when you come to pick her up next week."

"Yes.." The man looked away not meeting the young witch's eyes, "in a week."

Sybill frowned at the man as he disappeared with a familiar crack.

She looked down at his daughter. He had many reasons to be sad, but still his entire demeanor had seemed …off somehow. It was a little bit like that evening a year ago when he'd told her about his vision...

'but then Tatsu had a reason for his sadness,' thought the witch pensively as she absently studied the features of the sleeping child in her arms.

Only half of Kaoru's face could be seen in the flickering candlelight of the room and Sybill saw something glittering on the girl's cheek, but they couldn't possibly be tears. Kaoru never cried. She was the most disturbingly upbeat person the Sybill had ever met. So she paid them little mind and took Kaoru to a room that had been prepared for her in advance.

The first nightmare Kaoru ever had, was of her father, saying goodbye.

7

A week later on August 6, 1945 8:15A.M., the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Kaoru's home and past life were destroyed like that of so many others. The only difference was that her father knew what laid in her future. And it was not death.

8

2 years earlier in late August 1943

8

The sun shone dimly through the low hanging clouds and the cool morning air was soft with water. The forest below covered the low Tennessee Mountains to the horizon in every direction. The song of the birds and cicadas below filled the air with a constant hum. This sound was music to Kenshin's ears.

'He can't hear me through this noise.'

Kenshin let out a silent breath of relief. He was perched high up in the branches of an ancient pine, only now did he let himself relax, releasing his tightly controlled breathing in a near silent sigh.

'I've lost him.' The newly thirteen-year- old boy relaxed against the tree, his flame red hair formerly pulled away from his face had all slipped free from the makeshift tie he ripped from the sleeve of his gi. It now hung limply about his face and down between his shoulder blades.

'Stupid tie,' huffed Kenshin. 'I'm hot, sweaty and my STUPID HAIR is sticking to the back of my neck! "zzzZZZZZzZZZzzzzz ... SMACK" 'AAAAAhhhh! Stupid BUGS! Do I LOOK like food to you, you disgusting obnoxious little... Thinking of bugs, and birds. I can't hear them. It's too quiet. It's almost like the time when...'

Kenshin tensed looking about the tree for the predator. The distinct sigh of metal against wood whispered in his ears. 'To the left! Kenshin leapt down from the middle of the 30-foot fir somehow managing to land softly into a kneeling stance, his hand poised over the hilt of his katana wide eyes searching the tree above him fearfully. His head snapped around to the right and his body followed. He whipped his sword from its sheath and jumping backward, deflected the attack with a crosswise block.

"Good one, stupid boy. Only a week ago my sword would have been at your neck by this time in the morning."

Kenshin scowled at the 'stupid boy' comment and jumped backwards again to put some distance between them.

"I learn quickly, master," said Kenshin with a decidedly sarcastic tone.

"Don't get too cocky boy. You still have three hours until lunch." The master grinned, showing his white teeth. "And look you're tired already, pity really. I had hoped that my stupid student would put up a good fight."

"I had a bad dream. I couldn't sleep." Kenshin's sarcastic tone turned defensive, as he stood straighter trying to hide his fatigue. He lunged forward aiming for his master's heart. The tall man easily deflected the blow by stepping aside and striking downward with his sword.

"Not fast enough boy, you need to..." his words were cut off as Kenshin turned his forward momentum sideways into a sweeping cut aiming for the man's neck this time. The man fell backwards into a roll to avoid it and ended up with a nice haircut.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." said Kenshin in a superior voice "I thought you needed a trim. The ladies will love you now that I've gotten rid of those split ends."

"I've had better haircuts." The dark haired man fingered the end of his now not so long ponytail. "You're looking a little scraggly yourself Kenshin. Perhaps I should take a little off the side. Don't be angry if I remove an ear or two."

Kenshin's eye twitched, and he fought the urge to reach up and cover his ears.  
"What comes around goes around boy." Said his master vindictively, and then he disappeared.

'Above!' Kenshin's instincts screamed. He barely lifted his sword in time to meet his master's attack. His master's full 200 pounds of weight were behind that steel and little Kenshin barely broke 100.

'I can't lock swords with him. It's a losing battle.' Kenshin dropped onto his heels and tried to sweep his master's legs. He hoped that his sudden lack of resistance would disbalance his master enough for a low attack to work.

Kenshin's brief hopes where dashed when his master jumped backwards avoiding the sweep and kicked off of a tree to propel himself forwards again this time with even more momentum.

Kenshin knew he couldn't even hope to block this incoming attack so he sheathed his sword and dove to the side, hoping that some distance and maybe a few trees in the way would help his situation. At the end of his roll Kenshin brought his feet beneath his body and with a jumpstart he began weaving through the trees at top speed.

'Maybe I can lose him again,' he thought desperately as the trees blurred past. 'Then I can catch my breath.' Kenshin heard a twig snap and jumped away from the sound. Sadly he found himself backed against a huge maple's trunk as master's sword flew towards him. He barely had time to duck and the blade shortened only a few strands of Kenshin's liquid fire hair before embedding itself about half a foot into a large maple's trunk. The force used to put it there could have easily separated a much slower person's head from their body.

Kenshin swallowed thickly and looked up at the blade just above his head with a sick feeling. He shouldn't have wasted time sitting there however, because his master abandoned his katana and kicked Kenshin in the side, with enough force to send him flying. Kenshin grasped his side in pain and turned his flight into a clumsy roll. He ended up sprawled upside down against another tree gasping in pain and wishing he'd gotten out of the way faster.

When Kenshin was finally able to speak he did so through clenched teech, "Kuso! That hurt Master!" hissed Kenshin, trying not to double over as he slowly attempted to right himself.

"Good. It was supposed to. Now get up and fight," said the man as he continued working his sword free from the offending trunk. The tall dark-haired man was beginning to feel irritated at his student's display of weakness… and this tree's stubborn grip on his katana.

Meanwhile Kenshin sat with his arms around his midsection trying not to breathe to deeply.

'I think he broke my ribs! God, I hope none of them punctured my lungs. I'm too young to die!' Kenshin thought dramatically as he prepared to stand.

His master finally succeeded in pulling his sword from the offending tree and again started for Kenshin.

The flame haired boy weakly propped his sword, still in its sheath, up on the ground and used it along with the tree he was leaning against to pull himself up. It was an agonizing process. Kenshin was about to pull his sword free when his master stopped halfway on his journey to his student and began looking around suspiciously. His blade was still leveled in Kenshin's direction.

"I think we have company boy," said his master in a lowered voice. "To your left." Kenshin raised his blue-lavender eyes to the forest on his left. In a rustle of leaves his master disappeared again.

Kenshin quickly ducked behind the tree he had been leaning against all the while holding a hand to his aching ribs. He was curious as to who would be up in this particular area of the forest. Especially when everyone around these parts knew how dangerous his master was with a sword. Yet this one was sneaking, or attempting to sneak and doing a bad job of it, through the woods, obviously looking for trouble, but where was he? Kenshin could tell he was very close by the feel of the man's odd ki nearby.

'I should be able to see him. I know he's right in front of me,' Kenshin thought desperately as he looked into the small clearing behind his hiding place. Kenshin's master suddenly reappeared holding his sword level, eyes narrowed at the space at the tip of his blade.

"You might as well uncover yourself. I know you're there.

"Ha ha ha! Wonderful! Marvelous!" Clapping rang out from the spot where Kenshin's master pointed his blade. Then a man in a black business suit (think secret service) appeared holding a pair of sunglasses in his hand. Kenshin almost fell over in shock.

"Wha How did you? Huh?" Kenshin uttered intelligently.

"He's a wizard, a magic user," said Kenshin's master without looking at Kenshin. "But what I don't understand is why he's here." Kenshin's master eyed the 'wizard' suspiciously.

"Ahh I believe I can answer that one for you" replied the man in black. "I'm here to kill you." The man jumped backwards and pulling something from his jacket pointing it at Kenshin's master, who cut the object in half before the man had even raised it halfway.

Water sprayed all over both of them. His master blinked in confusion.

"A squirt gun." He said flatly.

"Yes, precisely" said the man in black. A cricket chirped.

'Who is this guy?' thought Kenshin, now completely mystified.

"I was testing your abilities, and you passed. Not surprising considering you're Seijuro Hiko."

"So you know my name. Do I want to know yours?"

"That depends on whether or not you'll listen to my proposition."

"Start talking, you have until half before twelve."

"You're going to eat lunch early?" the man questioned with wide eyes.

"No no of course not. My stupid student over here needs time to prepare it."

"Oh that's alright then." The man nodded with a knowing smile on his face.

Kenshin just stared. 'What the heck are they talking about? How is it that Hiko can hold someone at sword point and still not have a serious conversation?'

Kenshin finally found his voice "How did you, you know become invisible like that?" the man's shocking appearance had still not left the boy. The two men turned their heads to look at him.

"Oh that." Said the brown eyed, brown haired, completely forgettable man. "Well these sunglasses have an invisibility charm on them. And even more interesting they block 50 of UVA and UVB radiation."

"What?" said Kenshin "I think I understood the first part and then you said that other thing... whatever," Kenshin gave up trying to understand and just watched the two men, waiting to see what they would do next.

"Anyway, Seijuro Hiko I am an American agent representing the Allied forces. I have come to request your assistance."

"Keep talking," said Hiko in a bored tone. He lowered his sword and sheathed it managing to look wholly uninterested in what the man was saying.

"Shouldn't I speak to you alone?" said the black suited man looking pointedly at Kenshin.

"Whatever can be said to me can be said in front of my pupil."

At this admission Kenshin looked sharply at his master and then slowly a proud smile crept onto his face.

The man looked back at Hiko and sighed, "Alright, you win. I'll get right to the point. The Japanese are predicting our every move and then relaying the information to the Germans. We need to get rid of their seers. According to our spies they also have a group of college professors and some students researching the use of nuclear fission to create a bomb. They must not complete their work. They and their research have to be eliminated quickly. There are also a number of higher up Japanese wizards that need to be taken care of before they cause much more trouble."

"So you want an assassin." Hiko deadpanned. "Why don't you get some sniper guy in those places with a gun."

"Science doesn't work in places of high magical concentration. Any gun within an accurate shooting distance couldn't produce more than a puff of smoke and a little flag out of the barrel saying, Kill me I'm a muggle…"

He gestured to the weapon at Hiko's side. "Your sword, however, is just a piece of steel and it works all the same." The man paused with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Those Japanese wizards actually believe that their emperor is a god on earth. The belief of thousands of wizards is a powerful thing. Their emperor actually does have some godlike powers, because they unknowingly give them to him. If we could just take away their belief then they would have no power left. Then both Germany and Japan will fall."

"Have a wizard do it then."

"The Japanese have a ... system. They can detect any intruder using magic to cloak their presence and no unknown person is going to just walk in waving a wand around," the man waved his hands in the air like a conductor of an orchestra.

"Don't you magicians know the meaning of stealth! You're supposed to sneak in," said Hiko in a disgusted tone.

"We umm don't have anyone with those skills," the man looked at his feet sheepishly.

"I won't do it." Hiko said flatly "and you are wasting my time."

"But America can't lose! Do you know what will happen if the allies lose?" The man's voice had a hysterical edge to it now.

"I never get involved in useless wars!" yelled Kenshin's master. "All I get is blood on my hands and guilt. If I say yes you'll have me killing not only those men, but their families as well, and I will NOT be a part of that."

"But, if you help it will save lives, Mr. Seijuro, hundreds and millions of lives. All of those soldiers and those people in the German camps. They need y-"

"I won't fall for that. Now if you don't leave immediately you _will_ be leaving in several pieces."

The man gulped and then quickly glanced in Kenshin's direction. Hiko conspicuously laid his hand on the hilt of his katana.

"I, I see that we cannot agree," the man stuttered at the obvious threat. "Good day Mr. Seijuro. Good day Kenshin." he nodded at each of them in turn. He then reached inside his sleeve, pulled out a long polished piece of wood, muttered a few words and disappeared with a-

"CRACK!"

"Where did he go master!" Kenshin blurted out, his mind having trouble coping with the man's sudden appearance and disappearance.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway." Seijuro turned away from Kenshin and started for their hut. "Its time for more important things. Now hurry on ahead and start lunch or this time I'll take more than a few hairs off of the top of your head."

"Like what I cut from yours," muttered Kenshin under his breath.

"I heard that," came the deadly calm voice of his master.

Kenshin sprinted all the way back to the hut despite the pain in his side.

The next day...

The birds were chirping all around a scenic little clearing. Smoke came out of a rude cabin made from surrounding trees with a thatched roof and a small hole in the middle to let out smoke. A small pile of firewood lay next to the door and a cute little chipmunk skittered up a tree, disturbed by the loud voices coming from within the hut.

"Kenshin I'm out of sake go down to the Japanese goods store and get me some more."

"Master, America is in a trade embargo with Japan. That store was closed down last week."

"Kuso! Damn war! What am I supposed to do without sake?"

Kenshin's face developed a smirk when his master's voice assumed a whining tone.

"Alcoholism is a disease." Kenshin said with the aforementioned expression.

"So is stupidity, and your case will be terminal if you don't learn to show more respect."

Kenshin's expression became a bit strained. "Yes master. Shall I buy something else for you to drink?" 'Like acid,' Kenshin said tightly controlling the level of sarcasm in his voice.

"Now that you mention it, I would like some tea, preferably green, but if you can't find it just get black, and I don't want any of those fancy girly flavors that you like so much."

"Lemon is not a _girly_ flavor! Is there anything else you need?" Kenshin bit out, obviously annoyed.

"No, we get all our other essentials from nature. Just don't get lost on the way to town and maybe you should leave your katana. Last time the cashier thought you were trying to rob him and I had to bail you out."

"I would like to try and forget that particular incident," said Kenshin looking slightly disturbed.

"Make sure your wakazashi is well hidden. I think you should bring it along even though it's unlikely that you'd be attacked by anyone in town." added Hiko as Kenshin walked out the door. Kenshin rolled his eyes and continued down the overgrown path to the small town not three miles south.

He broke through the last of the trees around five in the afternoon. The sweltering August sun made the asphalt of the parking lot about ten degrees hotter than the shady forest that surrounded his home. Kenshin trudged to the sidewalk and then turned south to the grocery store. The people here no longer stopped and openly stared at Kenshin or his master when they occasionally showed up in town. Instead they threw wary glances at Kenshin when they thought he couldn't see them.

'I am Japanese after all,' thought Kenshin, 'and these clothes don't help.' Kenshin reached down and fingered the well-used cloth of his gray hakama

'Oh well, they're more comfortable than those tight pants these Americans wear.'

Kenshin didn't even think that people with fire red hair and big violet eyes are rare in any society, especially Japan. Kenshin was also short for his age and, sadly, rather pretty. The poor youth was at risk of confusing quite a few straight men when he got older.

Kenshin stepped inside the door of the grocery store and sighed when the cool air washed over him. The fact that the door took a little too long to close didn't escape his attention so he continued walking until he was alone in one of the aisles.

"So, how long have you been following me?" asked Kenshin casually.

Silence...

"Look I know you're here, so just save yourself the trouble." Kenshin continued annoyed.

"I cannot reveal myself when there is a chance a muggle will see me," said the voice from yesterday.

"Ahh I see, so I am supposed to pretend that I'm talking to myself instead of you finding a nice secluded place to reveal yourself and then entering the door visibly," Kenshin pointed discreetly towards the front of the store.

"Yes. People in towns this size are highly suspicious of strangers, especially when they are dressed as I am. They start asking questions. Believe me its easier this way,"

"Alright fair enough" said Kenshin as he grabbed the last box of green tea from the shelf and walked up to the cashier. He handed the man exact change showed him the object and walked out the door. The whole process took less than five seconds.

"Well you're a friendly one boy," stated the invisible man as he walked along beside Kenshin.

"I'm not welcome in town," said Kenshin, "and I don't appreciate you following me around for your own amusement."

"Ahh, but it's not for my amusement, boy."

"Then get to the point, and stop calling me Boy," snapped Kenshin.

"What should I call you then? Kenshin is too informal."

"Himura."

"Alright Mr. Himura. I have an offer to make."

Kenshin stopped, unable to believe what he had just heard. "You want me to come and work for you?" Kenshin's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Why not?" said the man with an eager note in his voice. "You sensed me back there in the store didn't you?"

"Yes..." Kenshin said slowly, "but..."

"But what?" said the man desperately.

"I'm only thirteen," Kenshin finished.

"Oh is that all. I thought you were going to side with your master." The man sounded extremely relieved. "You're strong enough. Not as strong as your master I suppose but what really matters is your speed."

"I'm as fast as my master," boasted Kenshin, "and almost as skilled." (That was only half lying. Kenshin is fast but not nearly as skilled)

"Are you now?" said the man slyly. "Come with me then."

"Okay..." said Kenshin suspiciously. 'I'm not an idiot. I know he's going to attack me or something.'

Kenshin followed the deliberately loud footsteps to an abandoned warehouse.

"Our meeting place," assured the man. "Follow me."

"Whatever," Kenshin rolled his eyes. He stepped into the open door of the warehouse his senses on high alert. The man stepped in behind him, took off his invisibility sunglasses and pulled out his wand. He said a few words under his breath. A ball of light appeared and floated up to the ceiling to reveal a largely empty warehouse with a dirt floor and a desk and a few chairs in the middle.

"What were you expecting?" the man asked curiously. He had noticed Kenshin looking about quickly as if he was in search of something.

"Nothing!" said Kenshin quickly.

"Oh, well then, have a seat." The man gestured to the chairs in the middle of the room. Kenshin strode over to the desk and sat in a generously cushioned office chair. The brown haired man sat opposite him and leaned on his elbows towards Kenshin across the shiny metal desk. "I assume you remember the conversation between Mr. Seijuro and I yesterday."

Kenshin nodded.

"Then you understand the situation I'm in. I was ordered to bring Mr. Seijuro to our aid and I failed. I can't force someone like him to help the Allies. I'd just end up on the wrong side of his sword. Which is why I need your help." The man spread his arms palm up in a helpless gesture and then folded his hands on the desk.

"I won't be able to change his mind, if that's what you're wondering," said Kenshin in a calm voice.

"No, No I want you to take his place Mr. Himura. Will you come and work for us? It would save lives."

"I don't think..." started Kenshin.

"Do you know what the Germans are doing?" the man interrupted hastily.

"Uhhhh...no?" answered Kenshin confused at the outburst.

"They've taken thousands millions of innocent muggles and put them in death camps. Women, children, boys your age are being murdered all because some insane tyrant has taken control of Germany. The Japanese are actually supporting them. Do you want that to continue?"

"..." Kenshin sat stunned for a full minute. Then he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the disturbing images brought to his mind by the new information.

"What does 'muggle' mean?"

The man blinked, clearly expecting a different response. "Oh that. It's the word wizards and witches use to describe people who can't use magic.

"So I'm a muggle," said Kenshin thoughtfully.

"Strictly speaking, yes," said the man. "Which is one of the reasons I've asked you to help me. No one in the magic world has ever heard your name or seen your face. You will be able to slip by their magic sensors without setting off any wards used to detect the wand of an invading wizard. The wards can also be set to specific people. If they don't know your true name they can't keep you from entering their domain. The Japanese know all the names of our spies and potential spies already and we know theirs. We need someone who is Japanese so they can blend with the crowd, and a muggle so they will be ignored. You fit that quota and your age helps too. You certainly don't look threatening."

"Thanks," said Kenshin sarcastically, scowling at his reflection on the desk. 'I wish I was taller' he thought wistfully.

"Well back to the point. Will you help us?"

Kenshin looked up from the desk through his long fiery bangs and met the man's intent brown eyes. He thought of all the people already in the war, the soldiers, doctors...wizards. They were supposed to fight to protect their families, but those camps, the entire families slaughtered for what? The whim of a maniac? 'I have to stop this' Kenshin decided.

"Will the war end sooner if I come with you?" asked Kenshin in a serious voice.

"Yes," said the man without pause.

"Then I will work for you," said Kenshin, determined.

The man rose from his desk, a sincere smile on his face. "Thank you Mr. Himura. This is a noble decision you've made."

Kenshin walked back to his home in a daze. 'I will help this war to end and no one will stop me... but I don't know anyone in Japan, not anymore. I'll be alone.'

He stopped in the middle of the darkened forest path and listened to the cricket's constant song. The fireflies were drifting gracefully into the air, lazily dancing along the path and winking in and out of sight. Kenshin watched their light display wordlessly from underneath his bangs. His eyes followed the progress of one of the lights as it wandered away from the rest and crossed as it landed on his nose. He smiled and gingerly took the lightning bug from its place and watched it light up in the palm of his hand, it's glow glittered in his eyes, offering comfort for the pain in his past... and in his future. Finally it crawled up his finger like it would to the tip of a blade of grass and lit into the air rejoining its kind along side the path. Kenshin smiled softly and left the scene behind to continue his hike up the mountain.

'I hope they have fireflies where I am going.'

8

8

The handsome man laughed as he tossed his small child into the air. The little redheaded boy laughed when his father caught him and yelled in glee every time he became airborne.

An amused voice spoke up from behind the happy father and son.

"You know it used to make me nervous when you tossed him around like that."

The man caught his son and then looked over his shoulder at his wife, "I know, that's half the reason I began doing it." He smiled mischievously. "The other reason was because Shinta likes to fly." He looked down at the boy whose tiny arms were thrown around his neck.

"Don't you Shinta?"

The child nodded enthusiastically.

The woman laughed good naturedly, as she sat on the floor next to the redheads.

He set the child down to the floor and turned to kiss his wife in greeting. She pulled the toddler into her lap and looked serenely into his wide lavender-blue eyes.

"They're just like his Grandmother's," she whispered to her husband in awe. I hope he'll be as kindhearted as mother was.

"Of course he will," he said in an agreeable manner. Both parents sat in silence, each remembering their own mother and father.

"Well the hair's definitely mine," said her husband after a pause.

She whacked him on the arm. "I was trying to be serious." The toddler giggled. One could tell the couple had spoken this conversation many times. Both parents looked at their child as he sat and reached for a stray crayon, and promptly started chewing on it. His mother sighed and tried to distract him enough to get the crayon away without causing a tantrum. Both parents knew that their child had a powerful set of lungs from past experience.

"Shinta, come now, give mommy the crayon. Oh, Shinta do you want to play in the wawa. It will be wots of fun widdle munchkin."

Shinta looked up at his mother with large violet eyes, "Wawa he said slowly. Baff?"

"Yes dear. With bubbles," his mother placated, smiling as he relinquished the crayon in hopes of a nice warm bath. His mother sighed in relief and handed the offending crayon to the boy's father.

"Ewww why did you give this to me he's chewed on it."

"Ha Ha. Very funny. You've dealt with ten times the slobber on that crayon without so much as flinching. Now go and get Shinta's night clothes."

"Closs" echoed Shinta

8

Kenshin awoke early that morning. He had tried several positions to reduce the weight he put on the left side of his body. Finally he ended up drifting off in a sitting position against the wall. The pain in his side had lessened somewhat. At least now it wasn't throbbing constantly. Of course it still made its painful presence known whenever he slouched, stood up, sat down, breathed deeply, laughed, or did anything else otherwise stressful on his midsection.

Kenshin mumbled groggily to himself as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "ve dealt with worse… ll' be gone in a few days."

He slowly stood and pushed off the wall. He crossed the hut and dug around in the small cabinet for the vegetables he'd picked yesterday and for the stock of dried venison his master cured periodically. He tossed the meat in a pot and went out to the well to draw up a bucket of water all the while mumbling curses at his master for not getting indoor plumbing.

"Every one else is getting it. The cheap jerk." Kenshin's flow of derogatory comments was interrupted by a large yawn escaping his throat.

When finished with this job. He loaded his arms with enough fire wood to cook breakfast and pushed it unceremoniously into the cooking pit at the center of the room.

He stroked the dying embers from last night to life and yawned again as he waited for the new wood to catch the flames.

"And electricity would be nice too," he grumbled as he poked at the fire one last time and went to retrieve the meal fixings.

He carefully placed the pot with the meat and water onto the metal rack stretched over the newly built up fire and chopped the vegetables as the water came to a boil. The daily routine worked its subtle magic and soon a fully awake Kenshin was now nervously glancing back and forth between the doorway and the cooking soup.

'I shouldn't be so afraid of what my master will do when he finds out I'm leaving. I know it's the right thing to do, but still,' he glanced again to the open doorway.

Kenshin mentally berated himself, 'What's my problem? '

To Keep his thoughts from running away with him. The thirteen year old opened a huge barrel in the corner of the hut and measured out some rice into another pot of water which he also set on the rack above the fire. He poured the remaining liquid into a tin teapot and put some of the green tea he'd bought yesterday into the container. Then the teen put both above the fire with the soup.

While the food was left cooking he slowly gathered his few belongings. Even though he took his time neatly folding his clothes it still didn't take long. He only had one other set of clothes besides the ones he was wearing. His other gi and hakama fit neatly into a deer hide rucksack along with a spinning top he'd always remembered having. The boy left the bundle on the ground next to his rolled up futon.

When the food was finished he pulled it off the rack and divided it up into several ceramic bowls, placing them on the low table. Kenshin wasted little time savoring his food as he quickly downed his soup and rice. Just as he finished and stood to cross the hut to pick up his rucksack, a shadow blocked the light streaming through the doorway causing Kenshin to start like a child caught stealing from a cookie jar.

Hiko eyed Kenshin with an unreadable expression on his face and then looked over to where his apprentice's traveling pack lay.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To help stop the war," answered Kenshin his chin held high. He crossed the room and picked up his things, all the while very aware of his master's stony gaze resting on his back.

Hiko's eyes narrowed and his face darkened. "No you're not," he said threateningly.

"Are you going to stop me?" replied Kenshin defiantly as he stood and turned to face his teacher.

Hiko looked away from Kenshin sharply and glared at the breakfast steaming on the low table with his unreadable expression in place once more. He looked back at Kenshin.

"Do you know why we are living in the United States Kenshin?" he asked, his voice dripping with barely controlled anger.

"Be...because the Japanese government chased you from Japan," said Kenshin now afraid of his master's obvious fury. He fought not to shrink away from the man on the other side of the room.

'Did he just get taller?' thought the teen wearily.

"We left Japan because they tried to kill me when I wouldn't aid them in their little war preparations. Those damn wizards wanted me to kill for them. I had to leave Japan and the entire East because the bastards wouldn't leave me alone."

He paused and sucked in a steadying breath, causing his nostrils to flare.

Kenshin was suddenly reminded of a dragon about to breathe flames down on an unsuspecting village.

"You were lucky I found you when I did Kenshin because the next day was when I left Japan forever. I can never go back, because wizards have long memories and their emperor does too. They ruined my LIFE because I wouldn't become their little toy and kill for them."

His eyes glowered into Kenshin's. "Do you want blood on your hands Kenshin, because that's what you'll have, blood and guilt. You've never had to kill someone before. You're lucky."

"I'm still going," said Kenshin, steadfast in his decision.

"Go then" said his master in disgust, "you are no longer my student. You were a mistake." Hiko stepped aside to let Kenshin pass.

Kenshin walked through the door looking down, fighting the tears trying to spring into his lowered eyes.

His master's, no, former master's voice filtered quietly through the door, but Kenshin heard what he said quite clearly.

"I hope you live to regret your decision."

"Goodbye... Master" whispered Kenshin in a broken voice.

7

7

Sean's spot

(alas poor Hiko will no longer have a young boy to keep him warm in the middle of the night)

Please disregard this last comment. I let my dorky older brother write something funny at the end of each chapter. Sadly, funny and perverted suggestion often mean the same thing. I just wanted you to know he got several dirty looks and an ewwww! For writing this one.

If you want to read Sean's story, a DBZ Ranma ½ fusion, you can find it under the name Arinson Tidochi. The story is called Joining. It's very good.

7

The spot of Meow (The even older brother)

(Hiko will have to go to town himself to buy sake from now on. And he will have to drink it alone also. I've heard sake tastes better with company. Considering how bad it tastes normally it could only get better from there.)

Meow, aka eternal wanderer, also has a story on It's called ninja fates. It is a Naruto, Ah my Goddess fusion. It is very interesting. Please read it!


	2. Hogwarts?

Kenshin stood near the stern of the large supply vessel, his overly long bangs licking about his face like fire. He found that he did not become seasick from the strange smells of the ocean or the irregular lurching of the freighter.

The other occupants of the ship seemed not to care where Kenshin stood. In fact they didn't seem to even know he was there. The man had told Kenshin that they wouldn't. All Kenshin had to do was stay out of their way. 'I'm not invisible,' thought Kenshin, 'but the man said that they would just… not notice me. I didn't understand what he meant then, but now it makes sense.' Kenshin looked down at the choppy gray waters and then at the leaden sky.

'So far from home already,' sighed Kenshin. 'I don't regret my decision, but it's strange not to see mountains and trees on every horizon. Oh well. I'm sure Scotland has trees and I'll be there for a few weeks to train for my missions. What kind of training I wonder.' Kenshin turned his lilac eyes to the wake waves rolling from the freighter.

1

(the previous day)

'Ahh you're here Mr. Himura I thought you had decided not to come! Wonderful!" The man rose from his reflective desk and walked around to Kenshin. "Are you ready?" he asked stopping directly in front of Kenshin. Kenshin raised his slightly red eyes from the man's feet and stared straight through his chest as if he wasn't even there.

"Yes," said Kenshin in a small voice, still reeling from his master's dismissal.

"Well take my hand then Mr. Himura and we'll be going" The brown haired man deliberately ignored Kenshin's obvious signs of distress. A fact for which Kenshin was extremely grateful.

Kenshin hesitantly took the wizard's outstretched hand. The metal of the warehouse walls blurred before his eyes and Kenshin felt a nauseating floaty feeling.

With a "crack" the two disappeared and in a following "pop" they were in a narrow passage between two tiny shops Kenshin stumbled when they appeared, his head spinning slightly. The man waited for Kenshin to regain his balance and then gingerly pulled his hand free. Kenshin had been holding it in a white knuckled grip. The wizard shook out his damaged appendage and then cast a healing charm on it, wincing slightly as he did so.

"That's a mighty grip you have there Mr. Himura," said the man. The respectful note in his voice almost covered up the shaky lilt caused by Kenshin's bone-crunching hold.

Kenshin only nodded mutely, his face still slightly pale from the trip there and wrinkled his nose at the smell of rotting fish and seawater. Fish hawkers could be heard calling loudly in attempt to sell their wears. They were obviously in some kind of a sea side port town. Kenshin's companion turned to the alley wall and opened a door Kenshin hadn't noticed before. Kenshin followed him inside, leaving the narrow alley behind. When Kenshin out of habit reached back to ensure the door was closed he couldn't find the doorknob. Confused he turned around to look and saw that the door was gone, replaced by wood paneling and floral wallpaper. He let this realization slide over him as he scanned the room. It appeared to be the backroom of a restaurant. Two men stood up on the other side of the room and smiled in greeting.

"Mr. Jones! Mr. Brown! Good day!" said the man as he crossed the room and heartily shook each of the men's hands.

"Elllo to you too!" said Mr. Jones.

"How've ye been?" greeted Mr. Brown.

"Wonderful ever since Mr. Himura decided to join me," said the man by way of introduction. Both of the men looked up at Kenshin who still stood across the room. Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown shared a look and then turned to the man.

"I was under the impression that Mr. Seijuro would be joining us today," said Mr. Jones in a confused manner.

"Unfortunately Mr. Seijuro refused the invitation," the man paused considering his next sentence. "Mr. Himura is his student." The man leaned in closer to Mr. Brown and Jones. "He is skilled enough for the job. Please treat him as you would have Mr. Seijuro," The man assured in a quiet even voice. Mr. Jones and Brown looked dubious but weren't willing to alienate their only chance at winning the war. They smiled at Kenshin and waved him over.

Kenshin approached the two new wizards, looking doubtful himself. 'I heard most of what they said. They were expecting my master.' Kenshin suddenly felt a surge of annoyance. 'Always my master. I'll show them all. I'll do twice the job Hiko Seijuro could've done.' Kenshin lifted his chin and met each man's gaze squarely as he bowed to them.

"Hello Mr. Jones, Mr. Brown. I am Himura Kenshin, pleased to meet you." (Yes Kenshin can speak English fluently. His master insisted he learn it when they moved to the United States. He still has a bit of an accent though. Children learn languages very quickly anyway)

"The pleasure is all ours I assure you Mr. Himura," said Mr. Brown with a warm smile. "Why don't we all sit down and have lunch."( I know Kenshin just ate breakfast There is a time difference.) All four sat in an empty booth and picked up their menus. Despite the fact that Kenshin couldn't remember the last time he ate in a restaurant, he wasn't really interested in food at the moment. The ride here had been quite disagreeable with his stomach so he just got soup when the waitress came to place their orders. She seemed a little confused as to where Kenshin and the man had come from but didn't question them. She just took their orders and left.

"Well let's get down to business ay?" said Mr. Jones.

"Yes lets." The man who had brought Kenshin leaned forward on his elbows.

Mr. Brown took a deep breath. "Because you are a … less experienced fighter than we were expecting, as a part of your mission training you will observe certain classes in an English wizarding school during the day."

Here he looked at Mr. Jones for confirmation. When the other nodded in agreement of the makeshift plan he continued. In the evenings you will apply what you have learned into special training we will prepare for you. It is important for you, especially as a muggle, to understand who it is you will be up against. You will learn the difference between a potentially dangerous spell and a harmless spell. Hopefully though you will be quick enough so that won't be a problem." Mr. Brown said in a businesslike tone.

"I'm not sure I understood that last part…" said Kenshin.

"Hopefully the target will be eliminated before they can draw their wand and cast a spell." Mr. Jones clarified.

"I see," said Kenshin, stunned into silence. 'I'm going to be an assassin? Now that I think about it, they couldn't well put me on the front lines with a bunch of really dangerous magic users. I'm good at what I do but well… its _magic. _ I really need to start thinking things through. Not that I doubt my decision to help, but Geez…'

"You will be leaving tomorrow morning for Scotland in the muggle way. There is a freighter leaving at 7:00 am from the Long Island Sound. Be on it. Mr. Jones and I will be waiting for you at the dock. You will arrive in Scotland in four days. We will cast a spell that renders you unnoticeable to the muggles on the ship, but don't go about getting in their way and deliberately drawing attention to yourself. The spell doesn't cover those kinds of things."

(the actual location of Hogwarts is in Scotland)

"So no flirting with the ladies? Wow Mr. Himura is going to have a hard time remaining unnoticed," said Kenshin's unnamed companion while grinning ear to ear.

Mr. Jones burst out laughing and Mr. Brown chuckled a bit. Kenshin felt his ears burning as he looked down at his hands like they were the most interesting things he had ever seen. Lucky for Kenshin, the waitress arrived with their food, saving him from any more embarrassing conversation.

(Some of you might be wondering why they don't just use a port key to get to Scotland. This is because they are giving Kenshin a chance to change his mind. Four days is a long time don't you think? They are being very generous. Also they don't want him to feel pressured. He is very young after all.)

1

(back to the present)

The next three days of the sea journey passed uneventfully, Excluding the event where a boatman ran right into Kenshin and they landed in a tangled heap. The man looked quite surprised as he hadn't even noticed Kenshin was there before colliding with him. The man blushed and apologized profusely to Kenshin, who just wanted the man to get off him. Finally, he got off Kenshin, stood, and helped him up as if he were made of glass. Then he proceeded to ask, "if the beautiful young lady would forgive him for his clumsiness and if she would tell him her name." At the word, _lady_, the strange way the man had reacted suddenly made sense to Kenshin and he ran the heck away from the enamored boatman. Now every time he saw the guy he hid, afraid that the man would ask him on a date or something.

'Just thinking about that makes me shiver.' Then Kenshin remembered with chilling clarity the first time he had been mistaken for a girl. 'Better not to think about that particular incident.' With some difficulty he forced his mind down another, less disturbing path.

A few hours later Kenshin hopped over the railing of the boat onto the busy boardwalk. The people still ignored him and walked around his slight form as if he were a lamppost in the middle of the street. Mr. Jones and Brown made their way toward Kenshin through the crowd.

"Good day Mr. Himura," they both said at nearly the same time as they too stopped in the middle of the boardwalk. People parted and went around them like water flowing around a rock in a stream.

"Hello," replied Kenshin distractedly as he looked around at all the huge ships moored in the dock and squinted to see the tall buildings far away on the smoggy skyline.

Kenshin's hair was now pulled into a high ponytail thanks to a gift he received from the enamored sailor, who despite Kenshin's efforts had found him again. When Kenshin revealed his gender to the man he was disappointed but gave the gift anyway. Luckily it turned out to be a deluxe set of hair ribbons. Kenshin only kept the ones that weren't blatantly feminine.

"Well Himura, lets be off to Hogsmead," said Mr. Brown holding out his hand.

"Hogsmead?" Kenshin finally lost interest in his surroundings and looked at the two wizards.

"Yes Hogsmead." Brown cleared his throat. "Hogwarts, that's the school you'll be visitin', has anti apparition wards. We'll have to take a carriage from Hogsmead to get to the school."

"Oh," said Kenshin. The phrase 'apparition wards' went completely over his head, but he certainly knew what a carriage was.

'At least some things here are the same. I just hope they don't throw anymore of those new words around. I'm too tired from avoiding that crazy sailor to understand anything new right now. But I suppose I'll make sense of it eventually.' With that last thought Kenshin reluctantly took Mr. Brown's outstretched hand and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the nauseating process he knew would follow.

As the three appeared on the green country side Kenshin took a minute to center himself and calm his stomach. When he finally looked up he noticed that they were just outside of a small village with one main road and a few tiny shops. There was a carriage standing in wait by the dirt road.

(Hogsmead was a lot smaller in 1943 than in Harry's time.)

Kenshin gave the carriage an odd look. 'Where are the horses? Do they use magic to move it or is there a motor hidden in it somewhere?'

Kenshin blinked. Had he just seen something at the front of the carriage? It was like something dark had flickered there for a moment. He tilted his head at an angle and squinted at the spot. He could see something now. It was like a faint outline of a-

"Horse?" As he continued to watch the 'horse's' once indistinct outline became clear and the dark creature bled into existence. Kenshin swallowed thickly and stared. One of the black emaciated things looked back at him through its clouded opalescent eyes.

Jones and Brown stepped up into the carriage, ignoring the beasts standing silently in front of the carriage.

'They have wings' Kenshin thought absently as he stood almost in a trance. One of the beasts stretched out a huge batlike wing and neatly tucked it down again.

"Come on boy. What are ye waitin' for?"

Kenshin jumped slightly when he heard the voice. He was so tired he didn't even notice that he forgot to be offended at being called a 'boy'. He shook his head, then followed the two men's example and boarded the carriage. 'I hope we don't have to fly to Hogwarts,' he pleaded mentally, thinking of the two winged horselike things outside.

Once they had all settled into the plush velvet seats Mr. Jones began his long explanation.

"We have arranged everything for you Mr. Himura. We talked to Headmaster Dippet." Mr. Jones paused as the carriage lurched forwards. Thankfully for Kenshin's sake it was still on the ground.

"The headmaster was a little weary of letting a muggle into Hogwarts, but he understood once we explained it to him. He told the professors that you would be observing some of their classes for a few weeks. One of the professors, I believe it was the assistant headmaster, volunteered to help show you around the school. Wasn't that nice of him?"

The question startled Kenshin out of his tired stupor. He looked up at Mr. Jones, blinked and then turned back to look at the passing scenery. "Yes, very nice of him." Kenshin said distractedly, fighting back a yawn rising in his throat.

"The only thing the Headmaster requested, was that you keep your weapons out of sight. We don't need students feelin' threatened. That would cause trouble that both you and the ministry don't need. We'd like for you to be able to concentrate fully on your trainin'. Also try to avoid talking to the students too much. They might figure out that you're a muggle and for one reason or another some of the students have an… unhealthy dislike for muggles."

"I'll be careful," said Kenshin still looking out the window.

"Hmmm what else?" Mr. Jones looked at Brown for help.

Mr. Brown smiled at Jones and continued for him. "Feel free to ask the teachers questions after classes. In the evenings you will train with an Auror instructor from the Ministry of Magic."

"Auror? Interrupted Kenshin. The word had filtered through his tired haze.

"An Auror is a wizard trained for battle and various other missions. He will help you apply your knowledge. We have even procured some books that might be helpful. You don't have to read them of course, but they might save your life one day." Mr. Brown winked.

Kenshin nodded. "What classes will I be observing?"

"Let's see now. I believe the most important ones will be Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms, but you will also observe Transfiguration, Potions, Muggle studies, Astronomy and Ancient Runes. Your evening instructor will show you what curses look like since those are obviously not taught in the curriculum." Having finished the explanation the carriage lapsed into silence. Kenshin's eyes drooped and he leaned his head on the wall. Finally Mr. Brown looked out the window and announced their arrival.

"Here we are Mr. Himura," said Mr. Jones as he opened the carriage door to reveal a huge castle with towers reaching high up into the sky. Both men climbed down from the carriage and Kenshin followed now _very_ awake. He walked in front of the two men, stopped, and stood staring at the castle.

'I've never seen a castle before. Not even a picture of one. I couldn't have even imagined something like this.' Kenshin let his eyes wander over the ancient metal gate the stone paved pathway up to the castle and up the huge turrets. Each ancient building block seemed to exhume a familiar energy. One he had felt in many places in Japan but never anywhere in America. It was the same feeling that seemed to radiate gently off all of the wizards he met. 'I never realized it before, but what I sensed was magic, powerful magic.' "Incredible" whispered Kenshin in awe of the school. "Its like the entire castle is alive."

Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown gave each other a look. The expression on each of their faces asking, 'did you tell him that?'. Finally the two men shrugged. Each laid a hand on Kenshin's much lower shoulder and guided him towards the entrance. The awestruck thirteen-year-old was obviously not thinking about moving any time soon, but complied to their guidance without much resistance.

When the trio stepped through the enormous double doors, a tall auburn haired man was standing in the entranceway. He was looking at a portrait just off to the right and stroking his long slightly graying beard thoughtfully.

"Good evening gentlemen," said the man, still looking at the portrait.

Kenshin followed the man's gaze and glanced at the portrait.

Kenshin did a double take. 'Dear lord! Its glaring at him. That's soooo creepy.'

The auburn haired man spoke, "I think I'll move you to the great hall, Salazar. You don't match the colors in this room."

"You will do no such thing! You insolent troll," the portrait hissed. "I have a right to know who enters this establishment. I was the greatest of the-"

"Yes, Yes I know," interrupted the man, "but green just doesn't go with gold and purple. Now if you would just change the furniture and the color of your robes."

"I will do no such thing! These are _my_ favorite colors." Saying the man in the portrait looked angry was an understatement. His face was currently turning an interesting shade of purple and his knuckles were white because he had balled his hands into fists.

Kenshin looked from the angry portrait to the blue robed man and back again. 'Things just keep getting weirder and weirder. It makes me wonder what unbelievable thing I'll see next. I hope the food here doesn't talk.'

"Salazar, I believe if you stay that angry you might just match the purple motif in this room," said the man with laughter in his voice. The Salazar finally threw his arms in the air and stalked out of the portrait in a huff, his green and silver robes swirling behind him.

The man chuckled as he turned to greet Kenshin and his two escorts. "Good evening Mr. Jones, Mr. Brown," said the man as he warmly shook hands with the two men. "And Mr. Himura. I'm so glad to meet you young sir. The man bowed slightly to Kenshin from his waist. Kenshin automatically returned the greeting.

"Albus Dumbledore, Mr Himura. I will be your guide while you are staying with us at Hogwarts. I will show you to your classes for the first few days and almost anywhere else you wish to go." Here the older man changed the direction of the conversation. "I always like meeting new and unusual people. Most probably because I am unusual myself. Would you like a chocolate?" The man held out a piece of candy.

Kenshin smiled slightly and took the paper wrapped chocolate, 'I like this guy he reminds me of...Oh, I don't know, a grandfather or something.' Kenshin happily popped the candy into his mouth.

Jones and Brown looked at each other. 'That has to be the first time anyone has accepted candy from Dumbledore,' they thought at the same time.

"Well gentlemen," said Dumbledore looking up at Jones and Brown. "Dinner is being served in the Great Hall at this very minute. You can go help yourselves and if you wish to stay the night ask one of the house elves and they will be happy to prepare a room for each of you."

Dumbledore waved for Kenshin to begin walking. After taking a step in the same direction he paused and then turned back to the two waiting men. Kenshin slowed to a stop after a few paces and waited.

"Goodnight Simon, Goodnight Peter." Dumbledore nodded to Mr. Brown and Jones respectively. The two men grinned at their former transfiguration professor, walked past smiling and turned down the corridor to the left. Neither could wait to fill their stomachs with the delicious Hogwarts food they had been missing for years.

Dumbledore turned to Kenshin with a twinkle in his blue eyes, "Well, Mr. Himura, shall I show you to your rooms? You must be tired from the long trip."

"Yes, thank you, that would be great!" the tired boy gushed with an unsurprising amount of relief. At the moment the only things Kenshin was capable of being enthusiastic about were rest and food.

"If you would like I could have the house elves send dinner up to your rooms. Unless you feel up to going to eat in the Great Hall with everyone else in the building."

Kenshin shuddered. "No I think I'll just stay in my rooms tonight." 'Ugg I definitely do NOT need the entire school staring at me while I eat. No no no.'

Dumbledore looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh. 'But then again' thought Kenshin, 'so far he always looks amused by something. What fun that would be. I wish I could always find something to laugh at.'

Kenshin followed always about one step behind Dumbledore as he turned this way and that. The red haired boy hadn't even thought of trying to remember the way back to the entrance. By now he knew there was no point in trying. They had already taken far too many turns for Kenshin to remember where they had come from.

Dumbledore led Kenshin up a stairway and then paused at the top. Kenshin stopped beside him and looked up at the tall man with a question on his lips. "Wh-"

Kenshin was cut short when the staircase started moving. He gripped the railing for dear life as Dumbledore quietly hummed a tune and waited patiently for the mobile stairway to stop at its next destination. Once the stairs reached a stopping point, Dumbledore stepped off the last stair and started walking at a sedate pace down the waiting hallway. After a short pause Kenshin followed, silently willing his heart to slow down. Had the poor railing Kenshin gripped been made of anything less durable, it would have had indents from where his fingers previously clung.

Dumbledore stopped at the second to last door on the left side of the hallway and opened the it. He held the door open with his foot and gestured for Kenshin to enter. Kenshin walked inside and dropped his knapsack on the chair beside the enormous bed. He slowly turned in circles, trying to take in everything at once. He had never been in a room this grand before. The walls were covered with deep red tapestries lined in gold thread. A fireplace was on the opposite side of the room along with a thick rug and a couple plush crimson armchairs. Kenshin laughed and hopped up on the bed in a childlike fashion.

Dumbledore smiled at the display and stood patiently.

"If you would like to freshen up. The bathroom is through this door." He supplied as he waved towards the aforementioned bathroom.

"Dinner is on the table. Dumbledore gestured to a small table about five feet from the foot of Kenshin's bed.

A feast, or so it appeared to Kenshin, was spread on the polished wood surface of the ornate little table. "These rooms once belonged to Godoric Gryffandor," continued Dumbledore. "One of the founders of this school. You see his portrait is over there." Dumbledore pointed a ringed finger. Kenshin twisted around on the bed to look over at a full figure painting of a handsome smiling man with black hair. He was shifting back and forth in the painting as if trying to hold still for the painter. He held a knight's helmet under his right arm and a red cape was draped over his opposite shoulder. When he noticed Kenshin looking at him he saluted him good-naturedly and smiled. Kenshin returned the expression and waved back, then turned to look at Dumbledore for final instructions.

"Well young Kenshin, I'll be taking my leave now. The door to your room will only open for yourself and a few of the other professors. Breakfast is from 6:30 to 8 o-clock every morning except weekends then its from 7 to 10. Some people like to stay up late on Friday evenings." He winked at Kenshin and then continued.

"Your first class starts at 7:45 tomorrow so I will be by at around seven to show you to the great hall. Have a nice rest." Dumbledore turned to leave, paused and then turned back. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. You will be meeting the headmaster tomorrow after your first class. Have a good sleep Mr. Himura. I look forward to showing you around tomorrow."

"Me too... uhh what should I call you?" asked Kenshin quizzically.

"I am not your teacher, so you may call me Albus or Dumbledore if you prefer."

Kenshin gave the man a wide eyed look as he thought, 'Call an adult by their first name? I don't think I can handle that. He's just too … old. It seems disrespectful somehow.'

Kenshin blinked. He knew he must look stupid staring at the man without responding. "Ahh, well then, Oyasumi (goodnight) Mr. Dumbledore,".

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "Goodnight Kenshin." The older man turned to the painting. "Good night Godoric."

"Night Albus," replied the painting." Kenshin sighed, mentally shaking his head. 'Of course paintings can talk, they can do everything else.'

The Transfiguration professor strolled out the door and with a last wave to Kenshin closed it behind him.

Finally alone, Kenshin looked about the room, with wonder in his eyes and a smile on his lips. Kenshin's gaze returned to the thick coverlet on the large four-poster bed. He ran his fingers over the intricate gold embroidery. 'I don't think I could sleep on this bed. It's just too big and too soft.' Kenshin looked over at the overstuffed armchair by the fire. 'That'll do just fine, and it won't jostle my ribs!' he thought grinning. 'Now for a bath!'  
8  
...Two years in the future

Sibyl Trelawny sat at her study desk. The lantern cast a warm pool of light around her. The darkness outside the window showed the time was late and a long day of summer homework was finally over. Even though she had to care for her two nieces, the fifteen-year-old witch still attended Hogwarts. Sibyl had pleaded her case to Headmaster Dippet and also to the head of Ravenclaw house. The two arranged for Sibyl to have her own living quarters near the Ravenclaw common room so that Megumi and Kaoru could stay with her during the school year. Sibyl and the girls moved into the school a week earlier than the other students so the group could get used to the new arrangements. The two little girls had lost both of their parents within the past few years and Sibyl didn't want to leave them in the care of a nanny. She felt she needed to personally raise them as best she could. It had been Tatsu's last request.

During the day Sibyl helped her teachers prepare for the starting school year so her nieces had free reign of the castle. They were allowed to play in any of the courtyards within the building and could wander about the halls as long as they didn't distract anyone from their jobs. The house elf Winnie was assigned to watch over the girls, to keep them safe and out of mischief.

Megumi, the elder of the two girls by one year was quiet and acted oddly subdued for her age. This behavior could be attributed to the loss of her parents when she was only five. Sibyl didn't know all the details but the fire had been deliberately set and for some unknown reason they had not been able to escape the flames. Megumi alone had escaped unscathed, but the little girl wouldn't talk about the incident, despite many attempts from Sybil and Kaoru's now deceased parents.

Kaoru, however, was as bubbly and bright as she had ever been. It seemed to Sibyl that she didn't understand the concept of death, even when she had witnessed her mother wasting away in bed with some unknown disease. Sibyl had yet to explain to Kaoru that she could never see her father again. The letter had arrived last week about the destruction of Hiroshima. Kaoru's previous home and her father were gone, annihilated by the blast. It was August 25 and the school year was fast approaching. Sibyl still didn't feel ready to tell Kaoru about her father because that would mean Sibyl would have to face his death as well.

'I still miss my sister and brothers-in-law,' thought Trelawney mournfully, 'but I suppose I always will.' Sibyl thought of her sister Megumi's mother, 'At least I got to grow up with Rachael. My little cinnamon eyed niece didn't get time enough to make any lasting memories with her mother, or her father for that matter. I hope that Kaoru rubs off on her. Maybe Megumi will realize that she's not so alone as she thinks.'

Sibyl realized suddenly that she had been staring at her homework instead of doing it. 'Oh my! Well, at least it's not due until next week when school starts. I believe that I have completed all of my other summer assignments.'

Sibyl just couldn't bear to leave any project undone. It was the main reason she was in Ravenclaw. In fact Sibyl once completed a project intended to take a month, in one week. She had gotten the highest grade in her class as well. 'Of course Divinations has always been my favorite subject,' gloated Sibyl mentally shining her prefect's badge.

The young witch's mental ramblings were cut off when a tired looking Kaoru drug her little feet into the room.

"Hello Kao-chan (Sibyl calls Kaoru this because chan is the Japanese term for little. Kao is short for Kaoru.) Isn't it time for bed?" Sibyl scooted her chair out and turned to look at her niece.

"Yes, but I can't sleep until I ask you when daddy is coming. When is Daddy coming Sibi-nee?" asked Kaoru as she rubbed her eyes tiredly

. (Sibi is short for Sibyl. Nee is short for oneechan, the Japanese word for older sister.)

Trelawney looked down at the floor for a moment and then met the child's strikingly blue eyes. "Come here Kao-chan." Sibyl held out her arms. Kaoru trotted over to her and Sibyl lifted the small girl into her lap.

"Kaoru..." started Trelawney. "Your father is... Your father can't come, dearest."

Kaoru looked up at the young witch, with confusion filtering across her face "Why not?"

"because he.." Sibyl looked away from Kaoru trying to hide the tears building up behind her eyes. "is-"

"Oh! I know," spurted Kaoru suddenly. The confusion disappearing from her features.

"You do?" said Trelawney doubtfully.

"Yes!" said Kaoru brightly. "He's gone to be with mommy hasn't he?" The girl didn't wait for her aunt to reply before continuing, "That's were he is! In heaven with Mommy. He told me that he would be there soon." Kaoru grinned at her aunt triumphantly. The latter just stared at Kaoru in disbelief.

'No tears, nothing. There must be something wrong with this child.' Trelawney was unable to comprehend what was going through the child's mind. 'Does she think she will be able to visit them or something?' Trelawney didn't want to make Kaoru cry but she had to make her understand.

"Kaoru honey, when someone goes to heaven they can never leave. You won't be able to see your daddy for a long, long time." 'There I said it.' thought Sibyl. 'That had to be the hardest thing I've ever done.'

"I know," said Kaoru her smile disappearing, "but I will see him again. And that's all that's important!" Her smile reappeared like the sun from behind a cloud. Trelawney sighed partly in aggravation but mostly in relief and a smile grew on her face as well.

'Amazing,' thought Sibyl. She loses her father and ends up comforting me. Kaoru is a very special child. The man who wins her heart will be lucky indeed. I have never seen such a lively spirit in anyone.'

The young witch hugged Kaoru and kissed her cheek. "It's time for you to go to bed little Kaoru. Maybe you will see your father in a dream."

The raven haired girl hopped off her aunt's lap after kissing her goodnight and went smiling back to her room.

Trelawney let out a small laugh once Kaoru was gone, shook her head at the irony of things, and went back to completing her schoolwork.

8

Kaoru crawled into her twin-sized bed and eagerly grabbed her wand from the bedside table. She propped herself up with pillows and held her wand in front of her.

"Lumos!" she said in a hushed voice and was rewarded with the tip of her wand lighting up brightly. She let the light fade into blackness before trying her father's spell.

'What was it again Lumos chromensia chromolastima? No, no, too long. Chromasia? That's it!" Kaoru waved her wand above her head. "Lum os chrom as ia" She annunciated with difficulty. Four different colored lights appeared. Swirling around above her. Kaoru frowned. 'There are supposed to be lots of little lights not four big ones.'

What Kaoru didn't realize is that it was amazing for a five year old to cast anything correctly. Most children her age in England didn't even have wands and weren't allowed to use them, but in Japan children begun attending school much earlier than in most cultures. Sybil was unaware that Kaoru had a wand or she would have confiscated it until Kaoru was of age and attending classes at Hogwarts, but the little girl hardly ever used it. She only knew the very simplest spells in any case. Kaoru kept her wand, (it used to be her mother's) in a drawer beside her bed underneath her old school kimono. Except on occasions such as these when she felt the need to cast her favorite spell.

Finally Kaoru decided to be satisfied with the lights. They were still pretty after all and watching them dance and swirl made Kaoru sleepy. She finally drifted off feeling comforted. Her last thought before she fell asleep was 'Daddy will be glad to see this when I meet him again.'

8

Kaoru opened her eyes and looked around. "Wasn't I just in bed?" She turned circles in the wide empty room. The floor and walls had shiny wood paneling all over them. The room looked a lot like her father's dojo where she used to practice his style, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu (The sword that protects). Kaoru knew it wasn't Her father's dojo though. He only used wooden practice swords and the ones here were made of metal. Kaoru could tell they were dull, obviously used for practice, but still... She eyed the swords hanging along the walls. 'I wonder where this is?' thought Kaoru as she looked around for the exit.

'Ah ha!' Kaoru skipped across the room and was about to reach up to open the sliding paper door, when she saw someone out of the corner of her eye. The little girl turned to see a woman's back. She was dressed in the traditional training clothes, a white gi top and a navy hakama. The woman's midnight hair was up in a high ponytail and trailed to the middle of her back. Kaoru slowly approached the woman as she walked along the wall, trying to see her face. 'She looks a little like me." Kaoru thought as she stood watching the woman intently. The dark haired lady stood with her eyes closed and a metal practice sword drawn out in front of her. She looked like she was concentrating, so Kaoru stayed quiet. She didn't want to interrupt the pretty lady's practice. Her father had always told her never to distract anyone while they had their sword drawn.

Finally the woman's cerulean eyes snapped open as she leapt into motion, bringing her sword downward onto an invisible enemy. She moved fluidly with perfect grace, as if she had performed these motions all her life. Kaoru recognized the kata immediately. It was her father's favorite. 'How does this woman know it?" wondered Kaoru as she watched the woman sidestep a nonexistent attack and leap into a side roll.

Kaoru thought the woman was beautiful. 'She reminds me of my mother, but she is too tall, almost as tall as Daddy, and her hair is too dark.' The tiny girl pulled a lock of her own hair in front of her eyes to inspect it. She silently compared hers with the woman's.

'Her hair is like mine.' concluded Kaoru happily. "Good! That means I have pretty hair too.'

Something gleamed at the bottom of the little girl's vision. Looking down, Kaoru noticed something by her feet. 'A practice sword? This wasn't here before.' She reached down to pick it up and was surprised to find that it wasn't too heavy. It fit into her hands perfectly, as if it had been made for her. Kaoru looked up at the woman. 'She looks strong' thought Kaoru wistfully. ' I want to be strong too!' The dark haired girl carefully watched the woman perform the kata as she slowly she brought her sword down in a clumsy mimic of the woman's motion. Kaoru didn't even notice that she was dressed in similar training clothing herself.

Kaoru awoke the next morning a little sore but refreshed. She had always been a morning person. 'Owww my arms hurt! Ahhh the sun is shinning yay! Kaoru forgot her sore appendages and leapt out of bed. Changing as quickly as she could into a shirt and some shorts. (Yes she can dress herself.) Then she bounded out the door of her room down the hallway and into the bright sunlit living room.

Trelawney looked up from her study desk to see her niece rush into the room blue eyed and bushytailed. Sibyl smiled widely at her little niece. "Good morning Kaoru! You look especially awake today."

"Konichiwa! (good morning) Sibi-nee. I think I dreamt about my Mother last night. Can I go outside and play?" Kaoru said in one breath.

"You can go to the courtyard and have breakfast there, but first you need to wake up your cousin."

"Okay," Kaoru ran back into the hallway to her cousin's room and back out in less than five seconds. "She's coming by Sibi!" Kaoru sprinted towards the door, reached up, twisted the knob open and was gone.

Trelawney sighed, "She forgot to close the door again." 'For such a young girl she sure gets around easily enough.' "Ah Megumi-chan you're awake"

The little six-year-old shot her aunt a death glare. "Only because Kaoru JUMPED on me. Where'd she go anyway?" The raven-haired girl searched the room with an annoyed expression in her cinnamon eyes. In answer her aunt pointed to the open door of their living quarters.

"She's out in the courtyard. If you want breakfast, Winnie is bringing it down there."

Megumi grumbled and went back into her room to change A few moments later the disgruntled child walked out the door. "Bye Aunt Sibyl" she called right before closing the door.

"Bye Megumi have fun," called her aunt without looking up from her desk. 'Ohh, I can't believe that professor Dumbledore wants me to write his first test for him. That man is just so odd sometimes. What is he planning on doing with the free time I buy him when I write this test?'

8  
(back in 1943)

Kenshin awoke the next day when a torrent of cold water splashed onto his face. "Ahhh," Kenshin jumped up from the armchair with his tanto (dagger) drawn. Only to find he was perfectly dry. Dumbledore was sitting in the other armchair chuckling and putting his wand back up his robe sleeve. For the first time Kenshin glared at the older man as his ribs twinged painfully.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, my boy. I just had to use that new refreshing charm on you. You looked so peaceful sleeping there that I just had to wake you up that way. You would've done the same had you seen yourself so blissfully asleep."

Kenshin gave Dumbledore a weird look, as he thought, 'I don't have magic. I couldn't possibly have cast any charm on anyone.' His face gained a decidedly evil cast. 'I would have to use real water. Heh heh heh. Watch out Dumbledore. You'll be in trouble if I ever find out where you sleep.' Kenshin rubbed his hands together. He was doing a very good job of impersonating someone creating an evil plot.

Dumbledore coughed nervously and stood up. "Well Mr. Himura it's 6:50. I think its time for us to be heading to the Great Hall for breakfast." The auburn haired man walked towards the door. Kenshin shook his head to clear it from his plotting and jogged to catch up with Dumbledore.

"You can sit up at the staff table if you like,' said Dumbledore, "Though in my opinion that will make you more conspicuous to the students than if you were to sit among them. What do you say?" asked the wizard looking at Kenshin from the corner of his eye.

"Kenshin looked at the carpet passing under his feet, "I'm not very good with, um people," he said shyly, "I mean I've never really been around anyone my age."

"I see," said Dumbledore in a subdued voice."

'The poor boy must have had a hard life,' he concluded mentally. "If it is more comfortable for you, you can just sit with the teachers. Near myself if you prefer."

"I'd like that," said Kenshin in relief.

"Most of the students don't come to breakfast until a bit later anyway. I believe that the first period Charms class you are observing will be eating breakfast at this time along with a few other of the earliest classes. There are different early classes every day so different groups of students will be up each time, but I suggest you eat an early breakfast every day to avoid the crowd," warned Dumbledore.

The Hall wasn't too crowded by a normal person's standards, but Kenshin felt uncomfortable sitting up where everyone could see him. He finally forgot to be self-conscious when the serving plate magically (that's the only way to describe it) filled with food. Bacon, eggs, waffles, pancakes, toast and jelly, hash browns, and some kind of strange juice where all available. Kenshin had never even seen half of the food on this table and not just because he lived in Japan for half of his life. He and his master always lived off the land.

"It was an honorable way to live," as his master so delicately put it, but Kenshin knew the man just wanted to save his money for sake and tea. 'Oh well' thought Kenshin, ' that was then and this is now. I'll just have to be careful not to make myself sick,' He grinned and loaded his plate with a bit of everything. Though Hiko was a good cook he couldn't rival the Hogwarts house elves when it came to lavishness and sheer variety.

8

Kenshin followed behind Dumbledore, trying to memorize the path through the school to the charms classroom. When they finally stopped in front of the classroom Transfiguration professor turned to Kenshin.

"Today at this time you will be with a first-year class and you will be seeing the simplest charms. After this period I will come to take you to meet headmaster Dippet. Have a very informative lesson, Kenshin." The wizard bowed slightly to Kenshin with a twinkle in his eye and turned back the way they had come, humming to himself all the way.

Kenshin took a deep breath and pushed open the door. He was greeted with an empty classroom. The seats were rather like you might find in an auditorium, each slightly above the one in front of it. Kenshin wandered into the room and turned about, looking at the slightly scratched up desks and the sunlight shinning in through the large windows.

"Excuse me sir, are you the one who will be observing our class today," said a oddly pitched voice from across the room. Kenshin whipped his head around to look at the man. He was quite possibly the shortest person Kenshin had ever seen, well the shortest adult at least. Kenshin wasn't too tall himself so that was saying something.

Kenshin blinked finally registering what the man had asked. "Oh, yes, yes, that's me," said Kenshin, embarrassed.

"I am professor Flitwick, and the head of Ravenclaw house. I am very pleased to meet you Mr..." said the man as he crossed the room with short quick strides.

"Himura," filled in Kenshin. Flitwick held out a hand and Kenshin looked at it for a moment before realizing that it was a greeting. Kenshin smiled to cover his abashment and shook the tiny man's hand. Flitwick gave Kenshin a look as if he were a very slow person and then gestured to a seat in front of the window. "You can sit in the back row so you can see everything clearly without distracting the students," he said a bit loudly annunciating each word, as if he thought Kenshin couldn't understand English.

"I understand Mr. Flitwick, and if I have any questions I will ask you after class."

"Alright then," said the miniature professor, "Its 7:37. The students will be arriving soon. Just have a seat and I will start class in a moment." The professor turned and went into a backroom. Kenshin assumed it was his office.

'Well, I guess I'll have a seat,' thought Kenshin as he took a deep breath and glided up the stairs to the back row of desks. He sat with the window at his back so the sun wouldn't shine in his eyes.

Just as Kenshin settled himself the first student came in and took a seat in the front without sparing Kenshin a glance. The young students filled into the room. It was a big class. Kenshin began to worry that he might've taken someone's seat, but his fear was unfounded. It appeared that the students didn't have assigned seats.

The violet eyed boy finally noticed that he was receiving quite a few curious looks. He heard whispers of "who's that?... She's pretty," and, "You dolt it's a boy. Are you sure? Yes look at his... wearing an open shirt." The children pointed and whispered in what they thought was a discreet manner.

Kenshin looked down and blushed, trying to hide his burning cheeks with his long uneven bangs.

"Class, class, please quiet down!" came the slightly high pitched voice of their teacher.

Kenshin let out a silent breath of relief. 'That was so embarrassing. Don't these kids know how to talk quietly in front of people? I could hear practically every word they said.' (Kenshin has excellent hearing.) 'Do I really look that much like a girl?' Kenshin looked heavenward. God, Do you hate me or something? What did I do to deserve this?' Kenshin's internal tirade was cut off when the teacher rapped the end of his wand against a desk in the front row. The loud sound it produced was disproportional to the light tapping on the hard polished surface. The class immediately quieted.

"This young gentleman," Flitwick gestured to Kenshin with his wand, "Mr. Himura, will be observing our class today. He is from the Ministry of Magic, so please be on your best behavior today. Do not disturb him or crowd him during or after class with questions. Now, before our lesson today we will review yesterday's levitating charm. Mr. Lestrange, could you show me the proper motions to cast the leviosa charm."

A thin boy with dark brown hair and an arrogant expression stood up and held his wand in front of himself. "Swish and flick," he said in a confident voice while performing motions adroitly.

"Perfect Mr. Lestrange! Ten points to Slytherin. And the correct incantation is..."

"Wingardium Leviosa," said the boy standing straighter and levitating his quill into his hand. He smirked at the students around him, who all rolled their eyes at the display.

"Very good, Mr. Lestrange. You may take your seat now." The boy sat down, practically oozing self satisfaction.

"The charm we will be beginning today is for mild calming. Who can tell me the difference between casting a powerful calming charm and a mild one? Yes Miss Jericho." Flitwick waved his wand toward a timid Hufflepuff in the front row. Kenshin leaned forward in his seat all the while taking extra care not to bump his injured side, and craned his neck forward so he could see the back of the small black haired girl.

"Ummm," she paused uncertainly, 'the difference is that... the weak charm doesn't require physical contact?" Her answer sounded more like a question to Kenshin, but the teacher seemed pleased with the response.

"Very good Miss Jericho. Five points to Hufflepuff. The incantation for the weaker charm is Valumus, and then the person's name. This spell can calm mild feelings such as, annoyance, hyperactivity, sadness, and apprehension. Trying to use this spell on someone who is truly angry or hysterical will have little effect, even with physical contact. It won't help with depression or mortal fear either.

Kenshin leaned forward even more in his seat, his eyes glittering. 'How incredibly interesting. This is what magic users learn to do? A more powerful spell would be extremely useful in a battle.'

The teacher continued, "One cannot cast a powerful calming charm on oneself. The requirement of physical contact needs a separate person who is calm themselves to cast the spell. The powerful charm will last as long as the caster remains relaxed themselves. The weak charm has no such limitations and can be used on oneself or others to relax or lessen the offending feeling. The mild charm usually lasts until the source of stress is out of mind.

An eager student shot their hand into the air and waved it about in an attempt to catch the teachers attention.

The teacher sighed, and then said, annoyed, "yes what is it now Parkinson?"

"Does the spell calm, you know, excitement?" The skinny boy waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Some of the other boys in the room stifled their laughter.

The professor gave him a sour look, "I'm not sure what exactly you are referring to, Mr. Parkinson. Now, Does anyone else have a pertinent question?"

The professor looked about at the class with carefully veiled annoyance. 'Honestly, these children are only eleven. They shouldn't even know about that kind of thing yet.' The professor shook his head and seeing there were no more questions he started in on the practical application of the spell.

"We will now practice the calming spell using some skittish animals. Since they don't have names just say the type of animal they are with a descriptor."

The professor transfigured a book on his desk into a small calico cat and threw another book on the floor with a bang. The cat immediately tried to jump off the desk. The teacher grabbed it by the nape of its neck and fluidly wove his wand in a half moon in front of her face with his other hand and said clearly, "Valumosa calico cat." He released the cat and she promptly sat on the edge of the desk and started licking her paw.

"You will be working with your table partners to calm down your cat, which I will transfigure for you from my books. One person will startle the cat and the other calm it."

He looked around the class before concluding. " Please don't let the cats escape. I would rather not be missing a decade from my wizard's almanac series. Get to work now. Call me if you need help with anything." The teacher went over to his desk and picked up the almanacs. He levitated them to each pair of students and then turned each into a cat.

Kenshin sat and watched the students try out the charm. It seemed that the arrogant boy earlier, 'Lestrange was it?' was trying to make his cat angry instead of scaring it.

'I wouldn't' pull out pieces of it's fur if I were you kid,' thought Kenshin. The cat proved Kenshin right when it took a swipe at Lestrange's hand. The boy practically hissed in anger and looked at if he were going to smack it right off the desk. Just as the boy brought his hand back to strike the poor kitty, his table partner, a Hufflepuff, grabbed his hand and said, "Lestrange..." along with something else Kenshin couldn't make out. Lestrange instantly lost his angry expression and instead turned to his partner with an annoyed one. He yanked his hand away.

"Don't touch me Longbottom." He growled

"Sorry, I just didn't want you hurting Professor Flitwick's book," said the boy with a small smile, as he surreptitiously put his wand back into his robes.

Kenshin noticed the wand, as he was in a better position to see it. 'He must've cast something on the other boy. That's probably why he calmed down so quickly! That spell _is_ useful. It's almost enough to make me want to become a wizard.'

Kenshin looked about the class. They all seemed to be having varying degrees of difficulty attempting the weaker spell. He lifted up his legs to let a frantic kitty run past.

'That boy must be very advanced for his age,' concluded Kenshin. 'How interesting.'

The rest of the class period passed without incident. After class was over Kenshin helped a girl find her cat. He finally found it hiding on the bottom of the teachers bookshelf. Apparently it thought it could blend in with the other books. It seemed not to have noticed that it was a cat instead of an almanac. Kenshin gave the kitty back to the grateful first-year and thanked the teacher for letting him observe his class. He left a few moments after the last student. When he stepped out into the hallway he saw Dumbledore waiting for him. The long bearded man turned to Kenshin with a smile and offered him a piece of candy. Kenshin took it and smiled as Albus produced another and ate it himself.

"Hello my boy. How was the class?" said Dumbledore around the lemon sorbet in his cheek. He began walking down the hallway.

"It was very interesting, thank you," said Kenshin as he followed along beside Dumbledore. "Those were some very useful charms. That was a first year class right?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"I was very impressed with the entire thing. Many of the students were really good. I can't wait to see the higher classes." Kenshin's youthful eyes shone and he had a spring in his step as he walked next to the older man.

"I'm sure they will be even more informative for you Mr. Himura. I understand that you haven't seen much magic where you come from?" Albus said in a half question.

"Yeah. I lived in Japan until I was about six and then I moved to Tennessee with my master. I've never seen anything like what I've seen here until the day that weird government man showed up while my master and I were training."

"Ahhh, said Dumbledore in an interested tone, "and you practice some art of the sword I presume." He motioned for them to turn left down a narrow corridor.

"Yes, The Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," said Kenshin proudly. "It's used for combat with multiple enemies."

"So you've been practicing this... sword technique every day for seven years. You must be very good by now." (Dumbledore didn't think he could pronounce Kenshin's sword style.)

"Oh I'm not that good," said Kenshin with false modesty even as he grinned widely. He liked being complimented, even if it was a bit embarrassing, since all he got was criticism from his master 'former master' Kenshin corrected mentally.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Kenshin's reaction. He stopped in front of a shiny suit of armor and said clearly , "turnkey." The suit of armor stepped aside and a wooden door opened to reveal a short staircase leading upward into a well lit room. Dumbledore motioned for Kenshin to go ahead of him. Kenshin gave the suit of armor a scrutinizing look before he went ahead of Dumbledore up the stairs. Albus followed closely behind Kenshin and the door swung closed behind him.

When both reached the top of the stairs Dumbledore laid his hand on Kenshin's shoulder indicating that he wanted him to stop. "Wha-"Kenshin looked up at the transfiguration professor.

"The headmaster is busy. Let's wait here a moment," said Dumbledore in a low voice.

Kenshin looked over at the man sitting in a swivel chair behind a mahogany desk. He was turned to the side facing a fireplace.

"Yes of course, that is unfortunate but I'm afraid we can't make allowances. You understand don't you. If I let this boy into our school then soon we'll be overrun by other dangerous magical beasts wanting formal magical training."

"Magical beast! Sir I must object. This boy is not a beast, he is a human and a wizard."

"I've made my decision and as headmaster of this school I say that no werewolves or any other half breed humans will be given admittance to this institution," said the headmaster as he leaned backward into his chair. He had mostly gray hair and a clean-shaven face, which was currently as expressionless as a stone mask.

The woman in the flames shook her head. I see that you will not agree with me Mr. Dippet. I suppose there is no point to this conversation then." The woman's voice hardened. "Good day Headmaster." The head disappeared without waiting for a response.

Kenshin gawked 'He talked to a green floating head in a fireplace, and it spoke back.' Kenshin tugged on Dumbledore's sleeve and the taller man looked down at him in question.

"What was he doing?" asked Kenshin quietly.

"He was conversing with someone who is not here, through the floo network. The network links different fireplaces for communication and travel purposes," whispered Dumbledore.

"Oh... kind of like a telephone," said Kenshin to himself.

"A what?" said Dumbledore, a look of interest dawning on his face.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore," said the headmaster turning his chair to face the pair. "Have a seat."

Kenshin and Dumbledore looked towards the headmaster and moved to sit in the two conveniently placed cushioned chairs in front of his desk.

Kenshin took the opportunity to glance about the room. There were a few portraits lining the walls, of which the occupants were eyeing Kenshin in interest. There were some tapestries all in different color schemes. The floor was hardwood and the desk a deep cherry red. Kenshin sat in a plush armchair that was covered in ornate designs. All in all the room was tastefully decorated but rather sparse.

"Mr. Himura," said the headmaster instantly reigning in Kenshin's wandering gaze.

"I asked you to come here so that I could make sure you understand the rules of your 'attendance' here at Hogwarts and the consequences of disregarding said rules," said the headmaster politely with a saccharine smile.

Kenshin nodded that he understood.

"You will not carry those swords where they can be seen or otherwise use them to intimidate students of this school. Do not converse with the students if at all possible and otherwise stay out of sight. You may ask a teacher questions only after the class has been dismissed. You are not to wander about the school whenever you feel like it. You should only be in the hallways when you are heading to a class or a meal," after the word, 'meal,' the headmaster glared at Dumbledore as if he had done something purposely to annoy him. The transfiguration professor just gave him an innocent look and sat completely relaxed in the chair. The headmaster turned back to Kenshin and fixed another false smile on his face.

"If you disobey these rules I will see to it that you are removed immediately and you will have to finish your training elsewhere. Do I make myself clear," he finished with his hands folded on the top of the desk.

"Uhhhh..." Kenshin suddenly felt nervous. 'He really doesn't like me.' Kenshin glanced at Dumbledore who smiled at him reassuringly and then returned his unsure gaze back to the headmaster. "Yes?"

"Good. Now Professor if you will show Mr. Himura to his next class I am very busy today." The man pulled a stack of parchments on his desktop closer and started shuffling through them as if what they contained was far more important than the two still sitting in front of him.

Dumbledore stood. "Good day Headmaster," he said in a genial tone. "Lets be going now Kenshin. The next class will be starting in a few minutes."

Kenshin stood quickly and followed Dumbledore out into the hallway. The wizard held out and arm signaling that they should turn right. Kenshin opened his mouth to speak to Albus, but then hesitated and closed it.

"You have something you wish to ask," supplied Dumbledore.

Kenshin took a deep breath, "Is the headmaster always sooo…," Kenshin floundered for a word, "busy," he ended lamely. "I mean I felt a little bit like he didn't want us there."

"Ahhh, yes, you speak of the rather curt treatment you received. I have noticed on numerous occasions that Mr. Dippet does not appreciate anything out of the ordinary taking place in his school or in this case anyone."

The future headmaster turned to look at Kenshin through his half moon spectacles. "He believes very strongly that only wizards and witches should be allowed into this school for any length of time. The only reason you are here to observe classes is because the International Cooperation department of the Ministry of Magic '_encouraged_' him to allow it." At Kenshin's stricken look the future headmaster smiled and continued.

"But don't worry too much. The ministry obviously put you here for a reason. It must be important." Dumbledore looked like he wanted to ask what that reason was but refrained and instead lead Kenshin through the well-lit hallways silently.

Albus stopped in front of an empty classroom. "This is the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. This year the professor is Beverly Honoré."

"This year? Is she a new teacher?"

"We have a new DA professor every year. For some odd reason no one seems able to hold the job for very long."

Kenshin let the information slide over him as he peeked into the ordinary looking room.

"Well Mr. Himura, I believe that this is a fifth year class so you will be seeing some more advanced magic. Tell me what you found interesting about the lesson. I have always wanted to see magic from a nonmagical point of view."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow and smiled, 'It's scary how I understand what he means even when what he said doesn't make any sense.'

"Well, I'll be seeing you after the class then Mr. Dumbledore." He held up a hand and half waved to the blue robed man.

"Yes after class Kenshin. It's a double length class today. I will take you to lunch afterward." Dumbledore returned Kenshin's half wave.

Kenshin walked into the 'empty' classroom. A stray current of air warned him. He ducked just in time to dodge the blow. Kenshin tensed his legs and sprung to the side dodging the second swing. He looked back, to identify his attacker and... 'A woman? With a broom?' Kenshin stopped and turned to stare at her quizzically.

"WHACK!" The dark blond woman was finally able to hit Kenshin now that he was no longer a moving target. She got him two more times before the shocked boy was able to respond.

Kenshin instinctively lifted his arms to ward off the blows, which were aimed at his head. "Nani?"

Whack!

"Matté onna!" In his confusion Kenshin reverted to Japanese. (translates: What, Wait woman!)

She suddenly stopped her assault. "Oh your hair's not on fire... Silly me" She said and then giggled in a way entirely unfitting for an adult. Then she paused, raised her index finger to her lips and her dark blue eyes to the vaulted ceiling in an exaggerated pose of thought. She brushed a stray lock hair that had fallen from her loose bun negligently away from her face with her other hand.

Kenshin was speechless. He lowered his arms from their defensive position with an incredulous look on his face. 'Is this woman entirely sane?' was all he had time to think before the woman looked back down from the ceiling and met Kenshin's eyes.

He jumped about three feet into the air when she let out a girly squeal "EEEEEk You're sooo cute! I absolutely love your hair. And your eyes! Eeeee!" She then proceeded to hug him so tightly that he had trouble breathing. 'Oh my God my ribs! If she doesn't let go soon I'm going to pass out.'

"Not too developed though." She said, mercifully releasing him and holding him at arms length. Kenshin gasped to catch up on his depleted supply of Oxygen and then winced when the deep breath caused a knife of pain to shoot up his side. Needless to say, it was a good thing she was holding him up, because at the moment Kenshin was in so much pain that he was getting a bit dizzy.

"Don't worry Dearie you'll fill out soon," she said in a reassuring voice.

'What is she talking about?' thought Kenshin fuzzily, finally able to think clearly enough to hear her babble.

"Ohhhhh, this is just perfect! I have a son your age. Maybe I can arrange a marriage between our families! Your children would be beautiful!"

'A marriage?' Kenshin's eyes widened, 'a son' he took a step back, now scared entirely out of his wits.

"Oh dear, it seems I've frightened you," said the woman apologetically.

The only sound Kenshin made in reply was an oddly strangled "Orooo"

"I'm Professor Honoré, but you can call me Mom," she looked at Kenshin with wide admiring eyes.

Kenshin broke out into a cold sweat. "I uhhhh errr" He was once again incapable of speech.

"Are you a new student? You look a bit young for my fifth year class." She looked Kenshin over from head to toe. "You're kinda short for a fifteen year old," she mumbled to herself.

"I... I'm here to... observe your class," said Kenshin in a stutter.

"Ohhh, but that can't be right. They told me a boy would be observing my class, Kenshi Himrala, something or other," she tapped the side of her face as if trying to remember.

Kenshin's expression suddenly became sour. "I'm a boy," he said in a growl.

"What was that Honey?" the woman turned her gaze back to the disgruntled teenager.

Kenshin took a deep breath to calm himself, 'must not use sword..' he chanted mentally. "I am a boy, a male, a man, not of the female gender," he said, the volume of his voice raising slightly with every word.

"Oh don't be silly. I know a girl when I see one... What did you say your name was again?" the woman changed the subject easily.

"Kenshin Himura," he said, still disgruntled

His reply caused the woman to look at him even more closely, specifically at his chest. (He wears a gi and they are slightly open in the front) "You really are a boy. How confusing."

Kenshin sighed. 'I'm cursed,' he concluded.

"What a pity. And here I thought that I had finally found a wife for my son," she sighed dramatically and looked at Kenshin wistfully. Kenshin and the woman stood in an awkward silence for about ten seconds.

"I wish I had a daughter so you could marry her instead," said the woman in a matter of fact voice.

Imagine the look you would give to the weirdest thing you'd ever heard. That expression was on Kenshin's face right now.

Professor Honoré turned on her heel and said, "Oh well. It can't be helped. You can sit there Honey." She pointed to a desk a few rows down in the very back of the classroom. She walked to the front of the room and sat behind the teacher's desk just as the first student walked in.

As the handsome, dark-haired boy walked by Kenshin he gave the shorter one an odd look. Kenshin ignored him and took his seat in the back.

When the rest of the students filed into the classroom they were much better behaved than the first year charms class had been. These students either ignored Kenshin or gave him a few curious glances. They had obviously been told beforehand that he would be observing the class. When all the students were seated the teacher stood up and walked around her desk so everyone in the class could see her.

"Today we will be very busy. We will be learning a lesser-known spell to block weak to moderate curses, such as jelly legs and petrificus totalis. This spell will be on the O.W.L.s. Also students will be turning in their three-foot parchment on their dangerous magical creatures. I will read the ones out loud that stand out as especially informative. Remember to always pay close attention in this class it may save your life one day." The dark blonde woman said in a no nonsense voice.

'Is she really the same person who just tried to engage me to her son?' Kenshin leaned back in his seat and eyed the teacher warily. 'Maybe she has a personality disorder.'

"Hand in your essays in a pile on my desk. Then get into your groups and wait for my instruction." There was a murmur of chairs scraping lightly against the wood floor and a shuffling of papers as students pulled out their essays and got up to turn them in. Kenshin watched the students slowly form groups of three and four all around the room, each group chatting amiably amongst themselves. When the teacher stood up the class's conversations died down quickly and all turned their attention towards the her.

"This blocking charm is simple once it is learned, but difficult to understand for beginners. Watch carefully." Honoré turned her dark blue eyes to the boy in the nearest desk.

"Mr. Riddle I require your assistance." The tall handsome boy from earlier stood up and moved so he was about six paces in front of the teacher.

"Please cast a low level curse in my direction." The teacher faced Riddle with her wand ready at her side. When Riddle hesitated she gave him an apologetic look.

"You don't have to worry about getting in trouble Mr. Riddle. Cast the spell."

Tom lost his hesitant expression and instantly raised his wand. Kenshin didn't miss the glint in his eyes. Apparently all the teen had been worried about was his good reputation.

Kenshin tensed in his seat and laid his hand on the hilt of his wakasashi. 'I don't like the look in his eyes.'

"Furnunculus!" said the young wizard with a strong voice.

"Arialent!" Beverly Honoré brought her wand up from her side to her face in a circular motion. The loose tendrils of hair around her face blew upwards and her robes billowed outwards as a concentrated wall of air shot up from a crack that appeared in the floor in front of her. Students scrambled to hold down papers that blew off their desks. The offensive spell Riddle cast was completely dissipated in the jet of air. A second later the crack in the ground closed up and the jet of air was cut off.

Kenshin relaxed back in his desk, 'I suppose he didn't mean to harm her after all. I'm probably just imagining things.' The flame haired boy let out a deep breath.

Honoré turned to the class, "Now get into your groups and try the spell. And please don't cast anything that will require a visit to the nurse if the shield doesn't work properly. She gave Riddle a look after saying this. (The spell he cast would've given the teacher boils had she not blocked it.)

"Thank you Mr. Riddle, you may join your group now." The dismissal in a decidedly cool tone.

The teenager nodded and strode over to his group with a well-concealed expression of satisfaction on his face.

Kenshin followed the boy's path with a suspicious eye. 'There is definitely something odd about him,' thought Kenshin. ',but he looks normal enough.'

Tom turned his head and looked about the room. He'd felt Kenshin's heavy gaze. When he finally locked eyes with the younger boy he let a smirk twist a corner of his mouth upwards. Kenshin's eyes narrowed and he let his eyes slide away as if he now found Riddle a boring subject to watch. Tom turned back to his group.

"Hey Lafia." He interrupted the brown haired Ravenclaw.

"What is it? I was just explaining the charm to Crabbe, who didn't seem to be paying attention… again."

"What is the name of the oriental kid in the back?" He questioned casually. The girl looked over Riddle's shoulder to get a better look at the boy and then redirected her gaze to Tom.

"Oh I don't know. The teacher didn't tell us his name yesterday. Only that we'd be having someone young come and observe our class and that we shouldn't disturb him. Weren't you listening...Oh, that's right you were gone yesterday!"

"I see" said Riddle slowly with a mildly thoughtful expression, "Well," he said, changing the subject. "Why don't we get started on that spell."

Kenshin watched the students practice the spell with close scrutiny. 'Their movements aren't as confident or as smooth as the teachers, but they seem to have the basics of what she demonstrated.' They also had the foresight to put away any papers and other lightweight objects that might be blown off the desks. 'Definitely more skilled' he concluded.

Kenshin covertly watched the strange boy, 'Riddle,' he remembered. 'His motions are flawless. He already knows that spell." Kenshin tried not to stare at the teen and have a repeat from a few moments before. 'I don't him to catch me looking at him. He might get a wrong idea about me.'

After about an hour of the students practicing the spell on their own the teacher stood up from her desk and called the class to attention.

"After skimming through your essays. I have found sections in several that I would like to read out loud. The first essay is on a cousin of the Chinese fireball dragon known as the Japanese feather." Here the professor cleared her throat in preparation to read the section.

"The feather, is considered by most wizards to be the most intelligent breed of dragon. Due to its small size and even temperament it is rumored that some long dead Japanese wizards have been able to acquire this dragon as a type of familiar. The dragons of Japan have been growing scarce in later years for an unknown reason. It is my personal theory that the unrest of the country has caused them to find other places to live since these creatures are notoriously sensitive to the imbalance of light and dark forces within their territory.

Japan's civil war in the mid 1800's and now it's participation in the Muggle world war may be the main factors in both the lower levels of hatchings and the decreased sightings of dragon specimens. The increased ratio of female to male dragons is also another effect of the war."

"Japanese feathers are the ideal representation of the symbol yin- yang, which is a balance of light and dark, warm and cool, dominant and submissive. In times of war the darker females become higher in number though the total population of feathers is shown to decrease. In times of extreme prosperity and wealth the male dragon is in higher frequency. Only in times of balance, however, does the species truly flourish."

The teacher lowered the paper and smiled. "This paper is exceptional because the writer had looked at their creature from several points of view and obviously knows all that is possible to know about their creature's mysterious mentality and has used that information to draw a conclusion. Plus, I learned something new from reading this essay and I like learning new things." Professor Honoré smiled brightly.

"The next section I would like to read is very interesting." The teacher sifted through the papers on her desk lifted a different essay into her hands with a bewildered look. "I have no idea how this information was attained, but it is very... thorough." She flicked her eyes in Riddle's direction before returning them to the paper.

"It is in the nature of the basilisk to kill. Not killing just for sustenance but without reason. For example the expression 'watch of the basilisk' is used when an individual is upon their deathbed. Every aspect of the serpent is a weapon, from its great size to its venomous fangs. Indeed the gaze of the basilisk is deadly to any who meet its eyes, yet it is rumored to be a quick, painless way to die. Perhaps one day this method will be employed in replacement of the dementors kiss to execute prisoners of Azcaban more efficiently." Here she skipped several paragraphs and looked towards the bottom of the essay. She took a deep breath and started to recite the words on the paper.

"Even though the very existence of the basilisk is a threat to all who cross its path, its venom is also a main ingredient in a potion that binds the broken soul of any being. For example, a person suffering from a multiple personality disorder can conglomerate all alter egos into one. The potion will also cure a broken heart, and dissolve a soul pact made with a demon. Unfortunately for those lovable demon worshipers and broken- hearted maidens, the venom of a basilisk is nearly impossible to acquire. The only venom samples have been found in the bodies of its unfortunate victims."

"I believe that such a beast could be, not tamed perhaps, but controlled by the rare few with the ability to speak to serpents. Its venom would be in high quantity, and many suffering people would have an improved life, one without heartbreak and insanity. From this I conclude that even with the difficult nature of the basilisk its continued existence is not a nuisance but a hidden blessing. One meant to save the wizarding world from wasted lives and ruined love."

The teacher lifted her eyes from the parchment and made eye contact with each student in the class. Then she said with a small smile, "An excellent paper. The author of this essay certainly has an optimistic view of such a... menacing creature." She paused as though deep in thought.

"I believe that the only problem with this essay is that the author forgot to mention the nature of the one who might control the beast. I have heard that the main reason basilisks aren't used in this very way is because the serpent and the human communicating with it both tend to have the same... ruthless mentality." She looked back at the parchment briefly with narrowed eyes and then said absentmindedly, "Still a very good paper though. Definitely Convincing." The room fell into silence.

"Well!" Said the teacher suddenly, smacking her palm on her desk. Half the class started in their seats. "That's all for today. Good work students! Ten points each to Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You can spend the rest of the period working on unfinished class work. I'll be right," she spread her arms, "here," she finished with a large goofy grin. Then she sat down in her desk and started grading the new essays.

The students spent the rest of the class period quietly talking and scratching on parchment with quills. Kenshin sighed, 'Finally a moment to relax.' He pillowed his head on his arm. 'I'll just rest for a moment.'

7

"Shinta come back here!" Gasped a chestnut haired woman as she chased after the hyperactive toddler. The small flame haired child laughed and continued to evade his mother's grasp.

"Shinta!" the child's mother fell to her knees in exhaustion, her breathing uneven. She broke out into a coughing fit. One arm was wrapped around her torso in obvious pain and the other hand held to her mouth. She sucked in a breath of air with a wheezing shutter only to expel the air with another bought of coughing. After about a minute the attack died down a bit.

Shinta stood a few paces from his mother wondering what was wrong. His little features scrunched together in confusion and concern.

"Mommy?" The toddler took a small step towards the fallen woman.  
The woman looked up at her only son with pain filled eyes, then turned her head so he couldn't see and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She turned her head back to smile at him.

"Don't worry Shinta, Mommy's alright. It's just a cold." She smiled and the toddler came closer. His mother's eyes widened slightly when she looked down at her hand that as she had feared, was streaked with blood.

"Shinta." The little boy halted about three steps from his mother. Something in her voice stopped him.

"I want you to go to your room and play with your toys alright." His mother stood shakily and said, "I'm going to go lie down with your father and take a nap. Don't come in our room Shinta." She met the child's large violet eyes for confirmation.

"Did I make you mad Mommy?" asked the child with watering eyes.

"No, baby, I'm just very tired, just like daddy's tired."

"When will Daddy get better? I want to play with him, but he's sick."

The child's mother closed her eyes morosely, "Soon, Shinta. Go play."

She herded the child to his room and then went unsteadily towards hers.

'Don't walk away mother.' Shinta stared at the door to his room. 'I want to sleep in your room like I did before Daddy got sick.' The child looked down at his toys strewn across the floor and finally plopped down and spun the present he received for his fourth birthday, a multicolored wooden top. It took Shinta several tries to be able to spin it and he was very proud of his accomplishment, but now he just wanted to be with his parents.

Shinta finally climbed into his futon. He his violet eyes flicked nervously to the dark corners of his room. 'I don't like the dark,' the small boy curled into a ball and wrapped his covers tightly around himself. 'Mommy always sings to me before bedtime. I want her to sing to me now.'

Shinta reached over and opened a small music box and listened quietly as his mother's rich voice began to sing his favorite lullaby.

"Follow me far fine fire,  
for without you friend,  
I've not the light to see by.  
Your light is to brighten paths,  
My Feet for you they dance, they fly.  
Follow me lovely Firefly,  
For forlorn I am not,  
Furthermore I have to go.  
Freedom fine is by your shine.  
The future is not so dim."

Night and fear are not welcome here

And your life shines them away

END OF CHAPTER TWO

(Nightmare ending by Annoying Older Brother) THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY PART OF MY STORY.

Shinta stared at the closed door as drowsiness gradually crept over him. Then a creaking drew his attention. Opening his eyes he stared as the door slowly opened and the dark silhouette of a woman walked into the room.

"Mommy?" Shinta asked hesitantly in a small voice before he smiled widely. "You came to tuck me in!" Grinning he sat up and held out his little hands.

The woman quietly approached the bed. Gently she leaned forwards and kissed Shinta on the forehead before gently pushing back down where she pulled the covers over him. "Goodnight little Shinta," she whispered quietly.

Walking to the door she paused before she left the room. "I almost forgot that you don't like the dark," she whispered. Reaching to a switch next to the door she flipped it on turning on a lamp in the corner.

Shinta gasped in horror at her vacant eyes. Her entire body was covered in bloody sores. Her bare feet had left bloody footprints on the ground. Looking down at the bed Shinta saw the sheets were covered in blood. On his forehead he could feel the blood drying and caking on his forehead.

"NO!" Kenshin yelled, coming awake abruptly. Looking around at the now empty classroom he sighed in relief. "I'm glad that I'll never have to go through that again," he said with a smile.

(Commentary by the even older brother)

What is he trying to do? Add 'horror' to the types for our poor sister's story. I can't tell if he's a fool or a genuis.


	3. That's Some Painful Training

Disclaimer: Sadly Neither Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X or Harry Potter belong to me. If they did I would be rich. It's a good thing I'm not because I've already stored up my treasure in heaven. I don't need to make money off of Harry Potter. Ha! Beat that J.K. Rowling. No, just kidding. You know I love all of you.

8

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Kenshin jerked awake when the sounds in the room changed. The low murmur of voices increased to laughing and the scratching of quills turned to shuffling papers and chairs scraping against stone. He wiped his eyes to clear his sleep blurred vision.

'When did I fall asleep?'

Kenshin felt as if he had been somewhere else recently. He looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. 'There was a woman… and I," Kenshin's eyes lost focus as he tried to remember the dream. "That's what it was. A dream. Ne?" he muttered out loud.

"Did you have a nice nap, Cutie Pie?" whispered Honoré right next to Kenshin's ear.

The effect was instantaneous. Kenshin attempted to jump away in surprise, but forgot he was currently sitting in a chair that was pulled up to a desk. After an interesting display of waking agility Kenshin ended up sprawled on the floor on the opposite side of the chair from professor Honoré, who stood leaning forward with her head cocked to the side, laughter dancing in her navy eyes.

"You're a skittish one aren't you?" she questioned rhetorically.

Kenshin just blinked slowly at the teacher, still trying to wake up. After a full eight seconds of sitting on the cold stone floor he suddenly blushed, stood up quickly and dusted off his hakama just so he would have an excuse to look down. 'At least I managed to fall so I didn't hurt my ribs,' thought Kenshin abashedly.

"What did you think of my lesson?" came Honoré's chipper voice. She leaned forward even more in anticipation of Kenshin's answer.

Kenshin leaned back. 'She makes me nervous for some reason.' He shook his head, trying to rid it of the cobwebs that clung to his mind. "What?" said the flame haired boy.

"My lesson, how was it?" she said slowly.

Kenshin smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yes, your lesson. I thought it was very interesting. I've never seen such a spell before… Of course I haven't seen much of any magic before, so…" the boy trailed off meeting the taller woman's eyes. She smiled encouragingly. Kenshin looked away in thought. "I think that spell you taught will be very useful to the students." He smiled again. "You seem to be a very good teacher."

The blonde woman clasped her hands in front of her chin and with wide tearful eyes she gushed in a girly voice, "Really! Thank you so much, "sniff' I've never," she wiped her eyes, "gotten such a wonderful compliment before."

Kenshin shuffled his feet nervously. 'I wish she wouldn't cry. It makes me uncomfortable.'

"Mr. Himura?" Dumbledore stepped into the room. "Ahh there you are."

'Thank you God,' Kenshin looked to heaven in relief. (he seems to be doing that a lot lately) 'This woman is crazy.'

"Hello Albus!" said the woman, in a giddy voice.

"Hello Beverly," he replied with a charming smile. "It's time for Kenshin and I to go to lunch."

"Oh, I have another class soon, so I won't be able to join you," she said in a downtrodden voice. She looked at Kenshin who made the mistake of speaking to her.

"It's been insa…um interesting to observe your class Mrs. Honoré." Kenshin had almost said, in_sane_, but stopped himself just in time.

"Oh you're just so precious! She threw her arms around the unfortunate boy and nearly squeezed the life out of him for the second time that day. Kenshin's vision actually went white for a split second and he felt several knives in his side instead of just one. When she finally released him he stumbled over to the door where Dumbledore stood trying to hold back laughter. Apparently this was a common reaction to one of the woman's hugs or the older man would have noticed his injury.

'If she does this one more time I'll have another broken rib,' thought Kenshin as he placed a hand against the wall for support.

"Good bye Albus" she grinned. "Bye sweetie!" she waved at Kenshin and he weakly returned the gesture with a pained look on his face.

As the two ambled down the hallway Dumbledore began with a chuckle, "So, it seems that Professor Honoré likes you."

Kenshin sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, not even trying to conceal his agitation. "What is wrong with her?"

Dumbledore laughed out loud at Kenshin's honest response. "Usually she's a pretty normal, composed individual, but when she sees something that she considers uhm… How shall I put it… cute, yes that's right, cute, she tends to act very immature and clingy."

"Alright then, I'll just avoid her."

"Ahh Mr. Kenshin that will be a problem. You see she teaches one of the classes you will be observing the most frequently."

"I don't know if I will be able to survive that," said Kenshin in a doomed voice.

"Oh, I believe you'll find a way to manage."

"Right," said Kenshin, not sounding at all convinced.

The two walked along without speaking for a while until, after a few turns Kenshin realized something.

"Excuse me Dumbledore sir. Where are we going? Wasn't that the turn for the Great Hall?" Kenshin pointed over his shoulder.

"Correct, Mr. Himura! You are beginning to get your bearings. Yes we are not heading to the Great Hall. I thought you might like to eat lunch in your room since you seemed so exhausted earlier."

"You saw that? I'm so embarrassed right now." Kenshin covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath.

"It seems that I am not the only one who enjoys teasing sleepy people," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Kenshin gave the older man a long-suffering look. 'No one takes me seriously' he thought, annoyed.

"Why don't you take a rest after lunch," suggested Albus, "we can't have you falling asleep tonight, whatever it is that you are doing." Dumbledore gave Kenshin a curious glance.

Kenshin kept a neutral face. 'I'm not supposed to let anyone know what my training is about.' He kept his gaze directed forward. 'No matter how much I trust them.'

When they arrived at Kenshin's door Dumbledore stopped and turned to Kenshin. "Have a good lunch. I'll be back in about three hours at about half past two and a half to take you to your next class, so rest well Kenshin." The older man bowed to Kenshin and then walked back the way they came.

'Half past two and a half? Does he mean like… two forty-five? Oh who cares anyway. Sleep is sleep.' The short red haired boy entered his rooms. 'No one is making me leave here until I've gotten my beauty, errr strengthening sleep.'

7

Kenshin rolled over on the bed. He'd finally decided to make use of it because even though it was too big for one person he felt that it was a waste to leave the bed unslept in. Once Kenshin let go of his misgivings he had found it easy to climb into the bed and settle down. In fact his side stopped aching the moment he laid down, making his journey into a dreamless sleep all the more easy.

8

(2 years in the future)

Kaoru laughed and spun around in circles in the small grassy courtyard. The sun glistened off of her black hair that was gathered in a high ponytail at the back of her head. Even though the autumn weather outside Hogwarts was cool and overcast the enchanted courtyard remained sunny and comfortably warm year-round.

"Kaoru-chan, stop doing that, you're making me dizzy. You shouldn't spin around after eating anyway. I did that once and ruined my new dress when I threw up all over it."

Kaoru halted her motion and turned to look at the 'mature' seven-year-old. "Really?" she said with wide eyes.

"Yes," said Megumi as she took a sip of tea. The older girl was situated on a large quilt with all sorts of lunch foods spread upon it. She held the teacup in one hand and the saucer in the other, managing to look very distinguished… for a little girl.

"What color was it?" came Kaoru's voice.

"My dress? It was blue."

"I meant the puke."

Megumi coughed and completely lost her elegant appearance when the front of her blouse was stained with tea. She turned a look of ire on her now laughing cousin.

"Its not funny, Grrrr you, you…you raccoon!" Megumi would've stomped her foot had she been standing.

Kaoru was currently laughing uproariously while rolling on the grass hugging her sides. In a comical delayed reaction she stopped and then jumped to her feet while shaking her little fist in the air.

"Hey! I'm not a raccoon. I'm a Kendo master." Kaoru waved her arms around like she held a bokken in her grip.

Megumi smirked. "Whatever raccoon, your ringed tail is sticking out of your hakama."

"Is not!" said Kaoru after checking her backside. Little Kaoru didn't even think of the fact that she wasn't wearing a hakama and the other obvious fact. She wasn't a raccoon. But you can never be too sure so she checked one more time just to be sure.

"You actually looked Ohohohohohoho." (scary isn't it) Megumi's familiar deranged laugh made its appearance at a young age.

Kaoru's miniature heart shaped face flushedas she glared at the ground.

Eventually Megumi's laughing tapered off. "Hey I'm sorry Kaoru-chan," said the cinnamon-eyed girl still with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Hmph!" Kaoru crossed her arms and turned her head away with her eyes closed.

"Fine, be angry then. It was only a joke," Megumi went back to eating her breakfast with sharp movements and an irked expression.

When Kaoru finally opened her bright eyes they landed on a beautiful flower. "Ohhh… Kirei (beautiful)," said the raven-haired girl in awe. She trotted over to the small plant with her gaze fixed on the strikingly purple blossom. She knelt down and cupped the flower in her tiny hands. Not many flowers grew in the courtyards that Kaoru hadn't seen, but she had never seen this one before.

"Megi-nee! Look what I found," Kaoru called to her older cousin.

"What?" Megumi's voice still sounded irritated.

When Kaoru didn't answer Megumi set down her food and twisted around to look over at Kaoru curiously. "What is it?" Megumi finally stood and walked over to her cousin. "Oh that's a Florentine moss rose. It's used to slow bleeding and disinfect wounds, but it has to be picked by a girl or it's useless."

"How'd you know that Megi?" Kaoru looked at her cousin with respect shining in her eyes.

"My parents taught me" said Megumi sadly with a small sad smile. She tilted her head downward as if she was examining the flower more closely. Her bangs covered the top portion of her face and hid the tears shining in her eyes. 'I have to show Kaoru I'm strong,' she thought over and over in a mantra. Her mental chant was interrupted when Kaoru spoke.

"If I pick it, it will die." Kaoru eyed the flower sadly. After a moment of studying the plant she spoke again. "But it will die anyway." Kaoru reached down and plucked the flower from the ground with a generous amount of stem. She held it between her hands and inclined her head forward with her eyes closed tightly as if she was praying.

"Kaoru what are you doing?" asked Megumi with a bewildered look on her young features.

Kaoru opened her eyes and looked into those of her cousin's. "I'm asking the flower to live longer."

"Flowers can't hear." Megumi sat on the grass next to her friend.

"How do you know if you never talk to them?" said Kaoru with a hint of indignation.

Megumi just watched her cousin with a dark eyebrow raised. "I never talk to my food and I _know_ that it can't hear me," she replied.

"It's not the same. Food isn't alive." Kaoru stood and looked to down at the other end of the small courtyard. "Oh now I remember I'm supposed to give this to him."

Megumi followed Kaoru's gaze and looked through the windows lining the walls of the courtyard. It was the first day of the new school term at Hogwarts and students were walking back and forth in the hallway on the other side of the glass.

"To who?" questioned Megumi. But Kaoru was already up and running to the glass door situated in the middle of the wall of windows.

"Kaoru!" Megumi jumped up and started after the girl. "Aunt Sybil said not to bother the students!" The older girl's waist length hair flew out behind her as she tried to catch up with her spry younger cousin.

Kaoru didn't hear Megumi, as the door had already closed behind her.

Megumi skidded to a halt and pressed her tiny hands against the glass windows. She watched as her younger cousin looked both ways down the hallway and then smiled when she found who she was looking for.

Inside…

Kaoru watched as the group of teenage boys approached her. They didn't seem to notice her as they talked jovially amongst themselves, until they were almost on top of her.

"Whoa there little girl" said a tall blond boy as he pulled his emergency brakes, barely keeping from running Kaoru over. "What are you doing here? Are you lost?" he asked kindly.

Little Kaoru just smiled at him and turned to the one she came to find. She tugged on the sleeve of his robes and the boy knelt down on one knee to be eye level with the tiny girl.

"This is for you," said Kaoru in Japanese. "It matches your eyes." She held up the flower to the boy with her bright smile still in place.

The sad eyed boy took the offered flower from Kaoru and gave her a slight smile in return. The slight upward turn of his lips would not qualify as a smile for anyone else, but on this particular one it was a rare thing indeed.

When his sorrowful gaze met hers Kaoru giggled coquettishly and turned to run back out into the courtyard. The boy watched her scamper outside and then looked back at the vibrantly toned flower. Finally he stood and the group of boys continued down the hallway, now teasing him profusely about his young admirer.

8

As Kenshin slowly floundered towards consciousness he had the niggling sensation that something was different. He shifted in his seat and his ribs protested painfully. 'Strange, this bed was so comfortable when I fell asleep. Wait… bed. I was in a bed.' The boy cautiously opened his violet-blue eyes and sat up in his seat. He cast an alarmed gaze about his surroundings and was rewarded with the sight of an unfamiliar room with regular rows of desks. The desk in the front of the classroom, obviously the teacher's, had a number of oddly colored and shaped bobbles along with a dish full of interesting looking candies. No papers could be seen on the dull surface of _this_ desk. There was also a chalkboard along the wall behind the teachers desk

"Good evening Kenshin," came the voice of Kenshin's guide, from behind.

Kenshin looked over his shoulder to see Dumbledore standing in the entranceway of the classroom.

"Where?" was all the flame haired boy could come up with.

"We are in my classroom Mr. Himura. You looked so peaceful sleeping there that I just moved you here so you could rest longer." The auburn haired man smiled mischievously at the bewildered teenager and started for the front of the room.

"Uhhh… Thanks?" said Kenshin slowly. "I think," he muttered to himself just as the wizard walked by.

The wizard stopped at the candy dish on his desk and picked a toffee off the top. The transfiguration professor tossed it over his head and Kenshin absently caught the missile candy. He mumbled a, "Thanks," around the candy now in his mouth.

Dumbledore picked through the candies a bit more until he found the one he was looking for. He put the lemon drop in his mouth and turned to face Kenshin.

"So, tell me about this tefelone thing you mentioned earlier. How is it like the floo network?"

Kenshin sat in silent confusion for a moment and then finally laughed in understanding. "The telephone? Well I've never personally had one, not that I can remember anyway. He leaned forward with his elbows on the desk and his chin in his palms. "But I know kind of how they work. You speak into one end." Kenshin shifted his chin to his left hand and extended his pinky finger in front of his mouth. "And you listen out of the other." He extended his thumb next to his ear. "You can talk to someone even if they're really far away. Your voice is turned into a Signal or something and it goes through wires and turns into sound again." Kenshin grinned, "kinda like magic, but not."

"Can you see the person you are talking to through this contraption?" asked Dumbledore as he walked around his desk to sit down.

"No," said Kenshin, "You can only hear them."

"Ahh, interesting," said Dumbledore, now seated behind his desk leaning back in his comfy teacher's chair.

A comfortable silence settled over the two. Each sat relaxed and in their own thoughts. Finally Dumbledore spoke.

"My students will be coming in any moment now." He paused. "This particular class made up of fifth, sixth and seventh years. They are taking this course specially to prepare for acquiring their animagus license."

"Oh? What's that?" asked Kenshin in a idle tone.

"Ahh You will find out Mr. Himura," said the older man just as the students filed into the room.

The class was very small, only about five students, two boys and three girls. The girls giggled when they saw Kenshin and turned to each other.

"He's so adorable! I wish my children were as cute as he is," said a blonde.

"You don't have any children Karen," said a girl with dark brown hair. "But I agree with you. He is just precious! Did Professor Dumbledore say why he's here?"

"Yes" said the third girl with rusty colored hair and brown eyes. "Dumbledore said that the Ministry sent him, but he didn't say why."

"Odd," said the first girl with a contemplative expression.

"Girls" Their professor's amused voice interrupted. "It's time to get started. Take your seats."

The girls quickly took the front three seats nearest to the teacher's desk.

"Now that we have determined that all of you have the talent and drive necessary to become animagus, we will start today on the decision process. That is, today we will attempt to find which animal you will transform into." Dumbledore paused and smiled in Kenshin's direction before continuing. "The animal you chose will hopefully best suit your personality. Let's start with just our favorite animals. Personally I like bumblebees and phoenixes. What about you Jon?"

A boy with freckles and light brown hair in the second row spoke up, "My favorite animal is… a dog I guess." The boy shrugged his shoulders.

Dumbledore nodded, "And you Miss Baker."

The blonde in the front row responded happily, "I absolutely love unicorns! But since I can't be a magical creature… a horse will do."

Dumbledore smiled, "both are noble creatures, the dog especially. Its loyalty knows no bounds." Dumbledore looked at Jon," I believe that while you are a very reliable person a different animal might work better for you." Dumbledore looked back at the blonde.

"A horse seems to fit your personality Miss Baker. It is a very free spirited creature by nature.

He spread his arms, indicating his next comment was for the entire class, " I want everyone to write on a piece of parchment their name and the names of the other four students. Under each name, including your own, write their most defining characteristic and what animal you best think suits their personality."

A rustle of parchment ensued the teacher's instruction as the students shuffled through their bags to procure their parchment and quills.

After about fifteen minutes of chewing on quills, throwing each other thoughtful looks, and snickering behind their hands the students passed their papers up to the front. Dumbledore picked up the pile and went to the front of the classroom. He looked at the chalkboard. Five pieces of chalk rose from the chalk tray and wrote each of the student's names on the board. Underneath the names, the chalk wrote all that the students had inscribed on their parchments.

"Hey!" said a boy with black hair indignantly. "Who said that I should be a slug! I could be defeated by a saltshaker. It wouldn't even have to be a magical saltshaker."

A ripple of laughter followed the boys comment and he glared angrily around at each of his classmates.

"Obviously someone meant that as a joke Mr. Zabini," said the professor as he fought to hide a smile of his own.

"Tsh whatever" said the boy as he crossed his arms and glared at the wall.

Kenshin hesitantly raised his hand, 'Mr. Dumbledore did say that I could ask questions during class,' he mentally reassured himself.

"Mr. Himura you have a question." The transfiguration teacher looked at Kenshin through his half moon spectacles.

Kenshin lowered his hand hesitantly and spoke in a quiet voice. "I know that some wizards are able to turn into animals, but is there any way to tell them apart… from a normal animal I mean?"

"Excellent question. Each animagus maintains a characteristic of their human appearance when they change into an animal. For example if you were to turn into a cat, Mr. Himura, you might have red fur or purple eyes." The professor gave Kenshin a close-eyed smile. "Does that answer your question?"

"Um, yes I think so," said Kenshin shyly. He felt like the whole class was watching him now. The self-conscious boy looked down at his desk.

Dumbledore gestured to all of the responses on the board. "These are all very interesting and informative thoughts," he said, "but we'll be using a different method to choose what animal you will one day have the ability to transform into." He grinned widely, "this method." The professor held up an old and battered hat.

"The sorting hat?" said the rusty haired girl, "I didn't know it could be used that way."

"Yes indeed Miss Bolander. The sorting hat can be used to make decisions based on your individual mental outlooks and idiosyncrasies. Would you like to be first?" Dumbledore lifted the hat slightly.

"Oh…sure." The girl pushed her chair back and walked around her desk to where the teacher stood. He placed the hat on her head and after about thirty seconds the hat said loudly.

"Owl!"

The girl removed the hat with a smile and handed it back to the teacher.

The blonde girl happily came to the front of the room.

"Mare!" said the hat

The brunette girl came next.

"Cat"

The brown haired boy was a hawk and the black haired a wolf. All of the students seemed pleased with their prescribed animals and sat thinking quietly to themselves about the benefits of each animal form.

The rest of the class was spent researching their animals and making sketches of them, so they would understand before transforming, what shape they needed to take. This task was easier for the artists of the class. Kenshin was just glad he wasn't the one trying to draw a bird in flight.

7

After class Dumbledore lead Kenshin back up to his rooms. 'to prepare for my individual lessons,' he thought. "Whatever that means," muttered Kenshin to himself as he sat at his table eating supper.

Not long after Kenshin finished eating a knock sounded at his door.

"Come in" said Kenshin. Fully expecting to see Dumbledore's smiling face. He was surprised when Mr. Jones walked in the door.

"Hello" said Kenshin, confused.

"I see you weren't expecting me, but that's alright. You see we really don't want the staff of the school knowing exactly where your training is taking place. So here I am to guide you." The man made a half bow as if presenting himself to Kenshin.

"Okay, So what do I need for training?" Kenshin stood from the dinner table.

"Bring your swords and your knowledge." The man smiled.

"That's it?" questioned Kenshin.

"That's it, " confirmed Mr. Jones.

"Alright" Kenshin walked over to the bedside stand where he had left his katana the night before. He tucked the sheath into his obi and looked up at Jones.

"I already have my wakazashi, so I'm ready," said Kenshin in a business-like tone.

"Lets be off then. Mr. Himura." The man walked out the door and Kenshin followed, making sure to note the path Jones took to lead him to the training area.

'Tomorrow I'll find my own way there.' Kenshin thought resolutely as he followed closely behind Mr. Jones.

'Left, alright, Right…Left. Down the stairs, straight past the statue of a woman in a sundress.' Kenshin watched the turns and landmarks closely. 'I don't want to get lost after all.'

"Here we are Mr. Himura." Jones held up a hand indicating a perfectly ordinary looking door on the left side of the long corridor. Kenshin looked back at the statue of the woman. ' This door is three doors down from the statue.' Kenshin made a mental note of this location.

Jones opened the door and Kenshin entered a dusty deserted classroom. To the left was the teacher's desk and seated in it was a slightly overweight middle-aged man. The door clanged shut behind Kenshin, causing him to start slightly.

"Come here boy," ordered the overweight man.

Kenshin complied and moved to stand in front of the teacher's desk.

"So what have ya learned today. In yer classes I mean."

"What do you mean?" Kenshin didn't want to sound stupid, but the question was too general to answer.

The man took a deep breath and explained, " How can ye apply the teachins of the classes ye've been in."

Kenshin scratched the side of his face thoughtfully and then crossed his arms. He shifted back and forth from one leg to the other and finally spoke.

"In charms, I learned that wizards, even young ones, are capable of being dangerous enemies. In Defense Against the Dark Arts…" Kenshin paused. "I learned a lot of things, about magical creatures, what a defense spell looks like and... well obviously not all magical people can be trusted, just like not all muggles can be trusted."

"In transfiguration I learned that even animals may not be as they seem."

The man smiled, "Those are all very good lessons. Yev've really thought this over haven't ya."

"Yes, well my master always told me that thinking made a good swordsman. Thinking and practice anyway." Kenshin smiled back.

"Well then my work is cut out for me. I don't need to explain anything to ya." The man stood up with a little difficulty and pointed to a door in the corner of the room that Kenshin hadn't noticed previously. "That there, be your real training room. Just go on through there. Your instructor is waiting for ye."

"Oh, you're not my teacher?" Kenshin looked back from the door at the middle-aged man.

"No, no. I'm just making sure ya know yer stuff boy, before I throw ye to the wolf." The man let out a hearty laugh. " I'm just kiddn' my boy, Your instructor's a scary one alright, but he'll follow orders." The man looked at the door as if he were scared of what was behind it. He looked back at Kenshin and held his gaze. "That one is from yer country, boy. Said he didn't like Japan whoring themselves out to Germany, that the emperor was weak. Strange fellow he is. So now he's helping the Ministry defeat the Japanese. I hope ya can learn from him. He seems awfully dangerous to me." The man stood straighter, " Well, come here every night at exactly seven o-clock. Do ye need a guide?"

"No, I can get here on my own."

"Well then, It was nice meeting ya" The man started to leave, but then turned back to Kenshin. "Be careful of yer teacher boy. I don't feel comfortable around him."

Kenshin nodded, "I will," but internally Kenshin was beginning to feel apprehension.

'What kind of person is he anyway? Oh well, he can't be worse than my master.' (famous last words)

Kenshin approached the door to the other room and slid it open. 'A sliding door, How odd.'

Kenshin stepped into the well-lit room. His eyes scanned the wood paneled walls and floors. He could see the colors reflected from his dark blue gi on the polished oak floor.

"This is what the Ministry sends me? A little boy," a voice sneered to his left.

Kenshin whipped his head around to the last dark corner of the room.

A lanky giant of a man slowly unfolded himself from his sitting position against the wall. He was dressed in a loose fitting long sleeve black shirt and pants of the same style. Kenshin noted the katana at his side with interest. 'I thought I was supposed to learn how to fight wizards. Why does this guy have a sword?' The man's earlier comment finally sunk in.

"Hey! I'm not a _little_ boy." Kenshin glared up into the instructor's narrow wolf-like eyes.

'The eyes of a predator,' Kenshin shook his head. 'Where did that thought come from?' He brought his gaze back to the man's position just in time to see him flick his wrist. 'A wand! I didn't' see that before!'

Kenshin instinctively took a step backwards and reached across his body to draw his sword. His arm froze with his hand hovering over the hilt of his katana. His violet eyes widened.

'I can't move!' Kenshin's arm shook with the effort of trying to close his fingers around the hilt of his katana.

"I've petrified you. It won't work." The man's golden eyes narrowed as a feral smile spread across his thin lips. He started a slow advance towards Kenshin with his unoccupied hand resting lazily on the hilt of his sword. His wand hand swung loosely at his side.

Kenshin's eyes widened even further at his approach. In fact, his eyes were the only part of himself he could move, so he closed them to control the fear rising in his throat. Kenshin finally took a deep breath and concentrated on reaching his sword with all his will.

He felt the woven leather grip beneath his fingers as they curled around the handle of his katana, but try as he might, he could not remove the sword from its sheath.

'Something's wrong. He should be on top of me by now.' Kenshin opened his eyes.

The man had halted his progress about halfway across the room and was watching Kenshin with interest. 'Sizing me up is more like it.' thought Kenshin wearily.

"I put you into a full body bind, you shouldn't be able to move. Not even your eyes. And yet you were able to grab your weapon. How did you do this?"

Kenshin's glared at the man and opened his mouth (with difficulty) to speak, but his tongue couldn't form any words.

"Oh of course. Finite incantatum." The man smirked. "How forgetful of me."

Kenshin took a deep breath of free air and stretched his legs. 'Finally I can move easily. I thought he was going to leave me like that.' Kenshin cracked his neck. 'It was like straining against a boulder.' He flexed his fingers and then shook out his hands at the wrist. Then he gave the much taller man a death glare.

"Just what was the point of that? I thought you were going to kill me."

"You didn't answer my question." The man had lost his smile and had his full attention focused on Kenshin.

"Question?" Kenshin blinked slowly, trying to remember. "Oh, that" He lifted his hand in front of his face and wiggled his fingers, inspecting them closely. "I don't know exactly. I just concentrated on moving my hand…and then I did." Kenshin smiled lightly and then dismissively shrugged his shoulders.

"I see." The man stood straighter. "I was wondering if the Ministry had made a mistake, but it seems you have potential. I will 'instruct' you." The word 'instruct' was annunciated with a vitriolic sort of tone that Kenshin fortunately missed, else he would have run the other direction.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you going to do that anyway?"

The man laughed. It was a ruthless and unnatural sound. "Don't be a fool. Why would I teach a weakling." Then he laughed again as if Kenshin had said something utterly ridiculous.

Kenshin winced, 'I wish he would stop laughing. Its really creepy."

"You're not the one I was expecting, but it seems the Ministry was able to cover their incompetence. They were wise… or lucky to have found a replacement." The man turned his back to Kenshin.

"What do you mean by that?" Kenshin eyed the tall man suspiciously.

His new instructor ignored Kenshin's question and asked one of his own. "What's your name Boy?"

"uh.." Kenshin was caught off guard and answered without thinking, "Himura Kenshin." Kenshin waited a moment in vain for the man to give his own name in return. Finally he spoke in an irritated voice.

"And yours would be..?" Kenshin trailed off, obviously waiting for a response.

The thin faced golden-eyed man glanced over his shoulder at Kenshin. "Hajime Saito"

Kenshin sighed and rolled his eyes, 'This is going to be a long two weeks. At least with the types of people I have to deal with on a daily basis.'

"Lets stop wasting time Himura," came the Saito's calm voice. He walked to the center of the room and turned around to face Kenshin. "I already know you have skill, but do you possess what is necessary for your, 'missions'" Saito smirked to himself when he said the last word, as if it were a private joke."

"What do I need?" Kenshin questioned with large violet eyes.

"The intent to kill." Saito answered in velvet tones. "To destroy your enemy before they tear you down." His voice took a patronizing turn, "Didn't they tell you what your assignments would be?" Saito managed to look down at Kenshin even though he was halfway across the room.

"Yes!" spat Kenshin. The man's condescending attitude was quickly grating on Kenshin's nerves. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath to calm himself. "I just… didn't… think of it that way." The young boy raised his eyes to his instructor.

"I see. You've never killed before. I didn't expect that you had. Hopefully that won't affect your ability to carry out orders."

Kenshin kept silent. He found that this subject made him extremely uncomfortable. 'I'll just deal with it when I start missions. No use in thinking about it now.' Kenshin shook his head.

"What are we waiting for Hajime sensei? Aren't you supposed to teach me or something?" Kenshin walked to stand across from Saito in the center of the room.

Instantly there was a wand leveled at his chest.

"Lets begin then," Saito smiled cruelly, baring his teeth. "Crucio"

Kenshin dropped to his knees when the first wave of pain hit him. The muscles in his throat spasmed and he was unable to draw even enough breath to scream. White stars exploded in his vision. He could feel his bones splintering and ripping his fragile insides to shreds. Every joint in his body burned. His head pounded so hard he couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but hurt…

Then as suddenly as it started it stopped.

Kenshin gasped, which caused him even more pain, and fell at Saito's feet. The young boy's violet eyes were wide as he pulled in uneven breaths. The golden-eyed instructor looked down at Kenshin dispassionately.

"Just remember one thing. I have a wand, you don't. If you want to live you have to disarm and kill me." Saito towered over Kenshin's prone quivering body. All the boy could see was Saito's shiny black shoes.

"When you're able to stand we'll get back to training." The ministry cooperative walked out of Kenshin's field of vision and leaned against the wall. He fished around in his pocket, pulled out his lighter, and lit the cigarette that had mysteriously appeared in his mouth between the time Kenshin hit the floor and he had made his caustic reproof.

As the pain in his head faded into a throbbing ache, Kenshin was finally able to think again. 'That hurt more than anything I've ever felt before. Not even the beatings I've gotten during practice with my master hurt this much. Even my teeth hurt.' Kenshin slowly pushed himself off the floor into a sitting position with his legs out in front of him.

The movement made him nauseous.

"Uhgg" 'I'd better not move around too fast or I'll have to take another bath today.' The constant ache of his broken ribs had increased to a constant sharp twisting pain in his side. He was having trouble breathing and felt a bout of vertigo wash over him. Kenshin closed his eyes and willed his stomach to settle. After about a minute he felt ready to attempt standing.

'I don't think I feel well enough to fight Saito though, so maybe I should wait a bit longer before standing. ' Kenshin threw the taller man a vicious glare. Saito stood smoking and looking unconcerned with the ire directed his way.

'Did he have to use such a,' Kenshin struggled to think of a word to describe it, 'such a painful spell?' Kenshin laughed bitterly but stopped when the motion caused the knife in his side to twist.

'Painful! What a major understatement! What did he do to me?" The thirteen-year-old sat pondering this recent horrific experience and finally came to one conclusion,

'He'll never be able to cast that on me again. That's for sure.' Kenshin took a deep breath and, using his katana and sheath as a crutch, slowly pushed himself from the floor while trying to keep his nausea to a minimum.

Saito pushed himself off the wall and flicked his cigarette to the floor, stepping on it as he made his way towards Kenshin. "So you're finally ready to start training. It would have been easier on you if you had just stayed down, but children never like to do things the easy way." Saito stopped about four paces from Kenshin and raised his wand, another incantation at the ready to cause his 'student' suffering.

The wand was cut in half before so much as a syllable left the Japanese wizard's mouth. The two thirds left in Saito's hand showed a clean cut. Saito looked at it in a bored fashion and then looked down into the narrowed eyes of the flame-haired boy with his sword at his neck. For a moment Saito just watche Kenshin as a trickle of blood ran down his neck and then he raised his amber hued eyes and looked over the boy's head at the wall.

"It seems you learn quickly Himura. I concede." Hesitantly Kenshin lowered his weapon still eyeing Saito as if he expected some underhanded attack. He backed away slowly until there were a few paces between them.

Saito looked at what was left of his 'wand' without emotion.

"I'm glad I didn't use my real wand that time," he muttered to himself as he tossed away the remnants of the false wand and flicked his wrist. Another wand appeared in his hand. Kenshin tensed at the sight of the weapon. Saito looked up at Kenshin.

"I see that you can barely stand" said the lanky man as he noted Kenshin's trembling form. "Very well… We are finished for tonight."

Kenshin let out sigh of relief and gave in to the darkness that had been clawing at the edges of his vision.

Saito raised an eyebrow at the small flame-haired boy out cold on the floor. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected even this much from a child. Oh well," Saito grinned sadistically. "I have two weeks to turn him into what this war needs." The merciless man walked from the room, leaving Kenshin passed out on the floor.

7

(older brother corner)

Banned wizarding commercial:

A dark scene. Two figures emerge, one from either side. Both are wizards wearing the order of Merlin medallions. Staring at each other in anger both of them draw their wands. One wizards wand is 11 ½ inches long and topped with a phoenix feather. The other's is only 3 inches long. The wizard with the shorter wand looks embarrassed while the other smiles.

Voice "Size really does matter. For those wizards who are less endowed we have created the Viagris Giganticus charm."

The two wizards appear again. This time the one with the smaller wand from before pulls out a five foot staff and then winks at the audience and smiles widely.

(older, older brother corner)

Beware when you sleep! You never know where you might wake up when mischievous wizards are around.

Viagris Giganticus charm? That sounds like something a loser would come up with and send to people by Spam owl.


	4. Off to Kill the Wizard the wonderful Wi...

Disclaimer: Sadly Neither Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X or Harry Potter belong to me. If they did I would be rich. It's a good thing I'm not because I've already stored up my treasure in heaven. I don't need to make money off of Harry Potter. Ha! Beat that J.K. Rowling. No, just kidding. You know I love all of you.

8

Hey yall I've redone the first chapter of this story so many times that you might find it worth your while to read it over again, unless you just started reading it recently. In that case just forget I said anything. I'm rather satisfied with the first chapter now, but when I read the second chapter I got really discouraged "What is this crap" I thought, but I spent about two days redoing it and now I'm confident that there is a significant improvement.

Jerry if you're reading this you've come very far. Don't worry, the next chapter will be out soon.

8

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord, he is a double minded man unstable in all he does.

James 1:6-8

8

Saito stood in the darkened hallway with a half smoked cigarette hanging limply from his thin lips. He was waiting for the student prefects to make their rounds. 'Why should I waste my time fetching the school mediwitch, when a student will be more than willing to do so for me?'

No sooner had Saito finished this thought than he heard footsteps coming toward him from down the hallway. When the tall handsome boy came into Saito's view he looked surprised to see the Japanese wizard leisurely leaning against the stone wall of the castle. The prefect crossed his arms reaching into his right sleeve in the process.

Saito looked the younger wizard in the eye.

"Take your hand off your wand boy. I have an errand for you to run," said Saito lazily.

"Oh, and what might that be?" said the dark-haired prefect in an intrigued manner. 'How did he know what I was planning to do?'

"I need you to run down to the medical wing and bring up your school's healer."

"Why? You look fine to me," said the boy. 'I know he wants the healer for someone else, but the question is who.'

Saito's eyes narrowed as he watched the wheels turning in the teen's head, "The healer isn't for me, but you know that already. Don't try to pry information from me boy, you'll be very disappointed."

The Slytherin prefect smiled at the threat, "Of course sir, I'll bring her right away." He turned away from the ministry associate without another word and headed towards the medical wing.

Saito watched as the tall boy vanished down the stairs. 'He knows something.' Saito sighed, 'Why do I always have to deal with the perceptive ones? They're such a pain in the ass.' The tall man took a final drag on his cigarette and threw it to the floor.

8

Kenshin floundered toward consciousness with apprehension, but when he tested his body for injuries, he found that he was painless. 'My side doesn't hurt anymore' He realized with surprise and an immense amount of relief.

Kenshin opened his eyes a crack and found himself staring up at a vaulted ceiling. He couldn't see much from where he was lying because of the white curtain drawn around his bed. 'This isn't my room and it's definitely not where I passed out, so where am I?' He could tell, however, that it was daytime due to the light streaming in from the large window above his bed.

The warm sunlight shining on his legs was making him a bit overheated so Kenshin threw back the sheets. 'What the? I wasn't wearing this. Kenshin sat up in the twin-sized bed and looked down at his clothing. 'I'm wearing a nightgown? Where are _my_ clothes and more importantly' he blushed, 'who changed me into this?'

Kenshin decided to explore this new environment, so he swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood. He padded to the curtain and peeked around it. He saw beds lining both walls of the room each with a window above, and a chair and a small table beside. A few of the other beds had the curtains drawn and in one there was a student sitting up reading a newspaper. 'I guess I'm still in the school. This must be a hospital wing or something. At least that explains why I'm wearing this.' Kenshin looked down at the white hospital gown.

Kenshin's thoughts on his current attire fled when he heard a familiar voice coming from behind him on the other side of the room.

"Excuse me Wendy, the ministry representative was not in his rooms this morning, and I was wondering if-"

"Oh yes, the poor boy. Mr. Riddle came for me and told me that he was injured. I didn't think it was anything serious, but he had two broken ribs and…" she lowered her voice.

The only hushed words Kenshin could make out were, "unforgivable" and "lung punctured …could've been..."

There was a moment of silence and then Dumbledore broke it with a question. "Madame Wentworth, how did Mr. Riddle know where Mr. Himura was?"

"What?… Oh, I don't know. Mr. Riddle is a prefect, perhaps he found Mr. Himura while he was patrolling the hallway."

"I see… and how is Mr. Himura doing?"

"He's been asleep all night. As soon as he wakes up he can leave. It's a good thing that ribs are easy ones to fix." Madam Wentworth's voice took on a motherly tone, "Just watch him closely Albus. I could tell that he had already begun to heal. That means he's had those broken ribs for at least a week and didn't say anything. What a silly boy! I don't understand why he didn't just come here directly to have them healed." By the end of her speech Madame Wentworth sounded exasperated.

"Amazing, I couldn't even tell that he was injured." There was a thoughtful pause. "I will have to watch him closely from now on." The voice sounded closer than before.

'He's coming over here!' Kenshin took this opportunity to use his nearly godlike speed. He was in bed and feigning sleep with the covers up to his chin when he heard the, "shiiink", of the curtain being drawn back. He squeezed his eyes closed tighter and turned away from the sound, as if he didn't want to wake up. He could hear the swish of robes as someone, presumably Dumbledore, walked up to the bed. There was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor.

'Why is he sitting down? I suppose he's not going to disturb me, so I'll have to 'wake up' on my own.'

Kenshin let out a barely audible sigh and opened his eyes a crack. He blinked a few times and then finally turned his head to look over at Dumbledore.

"Good morning Kenshin" said the man good naturedly as the teen met his smiling blue eyes.

"Good morning Mr. Dumbledore," Kenshin feigned confusion as he looked around the room. "Where am I?"

"You are in the medical wing, Mr. Himura. Apparently you were injured severely yesterday… During your training?"

Kenshin laughed nervously, " Oh yes that, well, um, you see, my previous master broke my ribs the day before I decided to work for the ministry and, well, I guess I kind of made them worse by training so hard yesterday." Kenshin smiled as if to say, ',no big deal.'

"Indeed... so you completely fractured two ribs and punctured a lung by… training hard, as you put it." Dumbledore leveled the boy with a stern look and Kenshin's smile melted off his face at the usually cheerful man's disapproval.

"I'm curious about this training," he continued in the same tone, "You don't normally train that rigorously. Am I correct Mr. Himura?

"Ah, no. Yesterday was a new… experience for me." Kenshin's smile looked more than a little strained.

"Oh, and do you know who it was that informed Madame Wentworth of your condition?" the auburn haired professor now sounded slightly guarded.

"Wentworth?" Kenshin repeated blankly.

"Yes she is the mediwitch in our infirmary."

Kenshin nodded in understanding and then put on a thoughtful expression. "Let's see… I guess it was my instructor. He's the only other one who was around before I passed out." Kenshin looked at the older man, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing important" Dumbledore stood with a smile, "If you're feeling better you can get dressed and come to the great hall for breakfast. Your clothes are here on the table. Come whenever you are ready."

The red-haired boy nodded again. Dumbledore stepped backward, smiled and waved a hand. The curtain drew itself around Kenshin's bed. Dumbledore's voice came from the other side of the curtain, "I'll see you at breakfast."

Kenshin sat and listened to the retreating footsteps.

"GroowwwLL…rumbllrrr." Kenshin's stomach heartily agreed with the future headmaster's invitation to breakfast.

'I think I'll take up Dumbledore on that food. I just hope I can find the great hall from here.' Kenshin hopped off the bed and grabbed his clothes.

8

Kenshin stopped. 'I thought she said the dining hall was this way' He had made sure to thank Madame Wentworth for caring for him and had asked her for directions. She seemed pleased that he had thanked her and gladly gave him the most confusing directions he had ever heard. There were so many left right lefts past the blah blah portrait, up the stairs… or was it down, that Kenshin couldn't keep it straight. He had bravely struck out on his own, trusting his own instincts over the directions of the school medic.

'Just how big is this place anyway?' Kenshin sighed. Maybe I should ask a painting. They're always hanging around. Oh no!' Kenshin groaned mentally, 'I'm cracking bad puns! My blood sugar getting _really_ low.'

Kenshin finally decided to keep walking. At this point he didn't feel like talking to one of those creepy moving paintings. He heard some footsteps ahead of him in the corridor. 'Probably some students,' he mused. Maybe I should ask them how to get to the dining hall. I know I'm not supposed to talk to them but I can't think of any other way and I'm getting desperate.'

Kenshin's prediction was proved correct when three boys about his age came into view. Kenshin stopped where he was and waited for them to reach him. They slowed to a stop in the middle of the hallway and watched him with varying expressions of suspicion.

Kenshin smiled disarmingly, "Excuse me, could you give me directions to the Great hall."

'It's always best to be polite' he thought to himself, 'just in case they're easily offended.'

The blond boy in the center of the group smiled back at Kenshin, though it seemed a tad sinister, Kenshin would not be deterred. He was going to eat, dang it, and no one could stop him.

"Sure I'll help you out" he said in a silky voice. "but what will you give me in return?" He eyed the shorter boy in an irreverent manner.

Kenshin blinked in confusion, "Uhh nani?"

The dark haired boy on his right grabbed the blond's arm and whispered something in his ear. The blond suddenly blushed and shot a glance at Kenshin's upper body.

"I knew that. I was just… seeing if I could profit from the situation that's all," he stuttered in anger and embarrassment. The boy on his left swiped some of his wavy brown hair out of his eyes and gave Kenshin a brief intense stare. Kenshin raised an eyebrow at the scrutiny.

"I know who you are," said the boy with wavy hair. The other two boys turned to look at the speaker and then at Kenshin.

The boy continued, "I heard it last night. You're that Japanese mudblood that's trying to get into our school. You remember right?" He looked at the blond for confirmation.

"Mudblood? What's that? Are you going to give me directions to the dining hall?" questioned Kenshin. 'Mudblood kind of sounds like an insult. I wonder what he heard about me.'

The blond blinked, "Oh, now I remember. He has red hair." He looked at Kenshin with a grin. "I'll help you," he said as he reached up his sleeve-.

Kenshin's eyes widened. 'He's reaching for his wand. What do I do? I'm not supposed to use my sword"

Kenshin waited for the sight of the blonde's weapon before he acted. When the boy whipped out his wand Kenshin ducked down and felt a spell wiz overhead. He leapt for the boy and grabbed his wand arm, twisting it behind his back.

'I hope a bluff works on these guys' He thought as he wrenched the blonde's weapon from his wrist-locked hand. Kenshin held the wand up to the blond boy's head. He stared down the other two who had just drawn their wands and had them trained on the brilliantly complected boy.

"Throw them down or…" Kenshin twisted the blonde's arm making him yelp in pain, "Or I'll make him wish you two were never born." Kenshin very deliberately let ice harden his voice. He made sure the threat seemed very real.

The two boys met each other's eyes in some type of silent communication. Then the wavy haired boy threw down his wand. As Kenshin brought his eyes to the dark haired boy he saw that his lips were moving in an incantation.

Kenshin pushed the blond boy as forcefully as he could into the brunette. The boy's eyes widened in surprise as his spell was interrupted when the blond crashed into him, sending both to the floor in a pile of arms and legs.

The boy with wavy hair watched in amazement as simultaneously his two friends fell to the floor and Kenshin seemed to disappear right before his eyes. The blonde's wand clattered on the floor beside him and he bent down to pick it up. 'I wonder if he used this to make himself invisible' he thought in awe.

Kenshin looked back down the hallway behind him for the fourth time. 'I hope they couldn't see which way I went.' He paused for a moment and sniffed the air. 'Finally! I can smell food. I hope I'm not hallucinating.'

Kenshin followed the smell down the corridor and up some stairs. He was rewarded with the sight of the Great Hall's wide open doors and the heavenly scent of bacon and eggs.

Kenshin made his way to the staff table without looking to either side. He didn't feel like starting any more fights with the students. 'I hope they don't report me' Kenshin worried to himself. He sat down next to Dumbledore and started filling his plate without so much as a hello. The older man watched in amusement as Kenshin ate at mock two and brooded over the incident with the three boys.

When Dumbledore felt that Kenshin had slowed his pace of consumption enough to make a reply possible he spoke.

"Is something wrong Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin barely spared him a glance as he continued eating.

"Why would you ask that?" he replied shortly.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "You took a bit longer than I expected to get here. The medical ward is rather a straight shot from the great hall you know."

At this admission Kenshin gawked at the transfiguration professor. "But Ms. Wentworth gave me the most confusing directions I've ever heard in my life."

"Oh did she now." The auburn-haired man chuckled. "She must have misheard you my boy. She has rather… selective hearing."

'Then what did she think I asked her?… Whatever, it's better if I don't think about it too hard. I'm already confused enough as it is. At least I made it here.'

Kenshin continued to eat, at a slower pace, until Dumbledore stood and beckoned Kenshin to follow him. The two left the Great Hall through a side door. Kenshin could tell by the noise level and the quickly filling seats that the morning crowd had finally come for breakfast. He was glad to be leaving as large crowds made him uneasy.

"You might find this next class interesting." Dumbledore interrupted Kenshin's quiet thoughts with this opening statement. The older man continued when he was sure he had Kenshin's attention.

"It is a class only for first-years in which they learn how to take flight." Dumbledore stopped his explanation here and both walked down the narrow corridor, presumably towards the next class.

Kenshin gave the wizard an odd look. "People with magic… can fly?"

Dumbledore continued again without answering Kenshin's question. "The instructor of this class is Professor White. She is also the head referee during quiddich matches. She used to be a professional player, but sadly a bludger hit her upside the head and she rather lost her sense of balance. Miss White can still perform simple tasks on the broom, but not the acrobatics needed for professional quiddich. Something about an inner ear problem I believe."

"Quiddich?" Kenshin hoped Dumbledore would start explaining his statements. The young teen was hopelessly lost.

Dumbledore turned to Kenshin with a smile, "It's a game played on brooms. I'll make sure you get to see a game sometime. I find it wonderfully interesting." He put a lemon sorbet into his mouth, effectively ending the conversation.

'Brooms? Wizards are very strange people. I've never heard of such a game anywhere else, and isn't eating that much candy bad for your teeth?'

8

Needless to say, Kenshin did find the broom lesson to be interesting. The first years had all stood next to their school issued brooms in apprehension, but when the teacher came out of the building throwing orders and explanations with a loud clear voice they seemed to relax a bit. Here was a teacher who didn't waste time on silly things. She got right to the point.

"It's easy" she said as she sat side saddle on her broom and floated into the air with one hand resting lightly on the handle. The other was holding a steaming cup of tea.

The students along with Kenshin were awed at her agility and felt immediately that if she could do so complicated a task then they could surely mount a broom normally and float a few feet into the air.

It was then that Kenshin realized that by playing quiddich 'on brooms' Dumbledore most likely meant in the air. 'So that is how they do it. Ha! Well now I understand why I never heard of it before. Only magic users would think to fly on a broom.'

8

The rest of the day passed much like the previous had. Kenshin again observed a charms class but this time he wasn't embarrassed by the gossip of the children, as it was a seventh-year class. It seemed most of the classes he observed were now of the older variety.

'Well I don't mind, I'm more comfortable with older people anyway.'

Kenshin withstood another session with Professor Honoré. Her bear hugs were less painful now that his ribs were intact, but they still knocked the wind out of his small body.

Kenshin didn't really need a guide for most of his classes anymore but Dumbledore came with him anyway. The boy was glad for the company. He really hated being alone, despite his aversion to crowds and felt totally at ease with the odd wizard. It was probably due to the quiet amusement the man emitted. He didn't feel threatening at all and Kenshin had no worries of offending the man. Kenshin knew that he had grandparents once, but he couldn't remember any of his relatives. The only thing he was positive of was that he was an only child. But Dumbledore seemed like a grandfather in the eyes of the lonely orphan. Whereas his master, Hiko Seijuro, was more like an obnoxious older brother than a father. A self-centered, narcissistic, domineering older brother.

8

That evening Kenshin went to the training room as he had yesterday, but this time on his own. He made sure that he was mentally prepared before he entered the wood paneled room. He found Saito leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette and looking menacing. Kenshin frowned at the smell but managed to look at the bright side of his situation, 'Oh well, at least while he's smoking he can't curse me.'

"You're on time today. Good." said his golden-eyed instructor as he lazily pushed off of the wall and flicked his cigarette to the floor.

'I wonder who cleans up all those cigarette butts' Kenshin wondered idly as he watched the imposing man step on the still glowing end of his cigarette's remains in his advancement towards his waiting victim… err student. Saito stopped about twenty paces from Kenshin and waited for the teen's eyes to meet his own.

"Ideally," began Saito in a superior drawl, "you will have the advantage over your opponent. They won't even know that you, the assassin, will attack." Saito paused and watched Kenshin shift nervously under his gaze. "But," he said in a deadly soft tone, "few situations are simple. Yes, most of your targets will be unskilled in the area in which you excel, but all will be trained in the uses of magic."

The wizard began to walk slowly in a wide circle around Kenshin. The boy followed his instructor's path with an uneasy eye.

"If for some reason your presence is detected, or even worse, anticipated, you will be in a different situation altogether. No longer is the prey ignorant and surprised. They are mentally prepared to defend themselves, to make some sort of attempt to stop you from completing your mission. To kill you before you can reach them with your blade."

Saito stopped his lazy circle and drew his wand. "You must be able to disarm me, your target, and have me at sword point before I can cast a spell."

Kenshin gawked at the man, "But that's impossible!" He argued in earnest, "You know how to fight with a sword _and_ with magic. Your wand is at the ready. You are…" Kenshin took a calming breath, "You are half a room away," he finished weakly.

"So if a target happens to know a little swordsmanship you will curl up and die?" Saito sneered at the bewildered teen. "Don't make me laugh. I thought from last nights little display that maybe you weren't so pathetic after all. I've never been _that_ wrong before in all my life." He raised an eyebrow, "Surely you don't think I'll go easy on you because you were injured yesterday?"

"No," Kenshin said angrily, but then continued in a hopeless voice, "but you are so far away. There is no way I could reach you in time to-"

Saito scowled at Kenshin's words and raised his wand in impatience. The boy did a wonderful impression of a deer in the headlights before diving to the side. He was not fast enough, however, and his dive turned into an uncontrolled fall when it was hit by a well aimed curse. Saito stalked slowly over to the fallen boy lying in a boneless heap. "Stand" he commanded. The red-haired boy slowly pushed himself off the wood floor with awkward marionette like motions and stood swaying before the much taller man.

"Draw your sword" came Saito's cold voice.

With a hiss of metal Kenshin drew his katana.

'What am I doing?' Kenshin panicked mentally. 'My body is moving without me.'

"Kill me," same Saito's voice, almost in a whisper.

'WHAT!' Kenshin screamed mentally, but his body had already started to move. Saito stood nonchalantly with his arms crossed and eyes closed as the sword flew to his neck.

'NO!' Kenshin fought against the order with all he was. It was like swimming through quickly setting cement.

The sword bit into the exposed flesh of Saito's neck. The man didn't even flinch as his blood slid slowly down the blade of his student's katana.

Both stood like statues for a moment. With Kenshin holding his sword at his instructor's neck while Saito's eyes remained closed and his breathing even, as if he were in some type of meditation. Only when the blood had trailed down the length of the sword and pooled at the hilt did Saito open his golden eyes.

"Finite incantatum," he said emotionlessly.

With a clatter the katana fell from Kenshin's hands and the boy fell against Saito barely able to hold himself up now that the puppeteer no longer held his strings.

"Hmmff" huffed Saito in a disgusted voice. "We're finished for tonight. But it seems to me that you need extra conditioning. Meet me tomorrow at precisely nine a.m. near the south side of the forest line." Saito stepped back and the boy, deprived of his support post, slid to the floor at his instructor's feet.

"The after affects of the curse will wear off in about an hour and a half. When you're able to move, you can carry your worthless carcass back to your rooms." The boy on the floor made no reply and only stared listlessly at the wall his head was facing. Saito stepped around Kenshin and left the room sliding the door shut behind him.

As Kenshin listened to Saito's retreating footsteps he swore mentally 'Damn it! Why did I freeze like that? Why didn't I get out of the way faster?' None of his anger was displayed on his face, however, because he was not able to move any of his voluntary muscles at the moment.

'A long two weeks...' thought Kenshin with a mental sigh.

8

Kenshin jerked awake, and instantly regretted it. 'I can't believe I fell asleep. Uuug, my neck.' Kenshin pushed himself onto his knees stiffly with one arm while the other rubbed the base of his neck.' His high ponytail had fallen out during the night and now his tangled hair hung wildly about his face like flames licking a torch. 'What time is it?' he wondered groggily. He looked at the pale light shining in from the high windows.' He could tell by the slant of the light entering the eastern facing glass that it was early morning. 'At least I won't miss any classes,' the teen sighed deeply.

Kenshin slowly pulled himself to his feet with quite a few pops from protesting joints. 'I'm young. I'm not supposed to be this stiff in the morning. If this is how old people feel every day, then I never want to grow up.'

After a few stretches and a short sword kata Kenshin left the empty wood paneled room through door and slid it shut behind him with a snap. 'I'd better go back to my room or Dumbledore will never find me. I hope breakfast will be up there because I really don't feel like going down to the great hall.' Kenshin walked briskly down the carpeted hallway. The portraits on the walls were still sleeping for the most part. There were a few kittens running from portrait to portrait and a man reading quietly in a green pasture but the subjects of the other paintings were breathing deeply and evenly in slumber. The overall effect was peaceful yet alien to the Japanese boy. 'This entire place feels like a dream, especially when the hallways are so empty.' Kenshin turned and walked up the staircase with silent footsteps. 'It's a good thing this particular stairway doesn't move every five minutes.'

Once he reached his rooms Kenshin noticed the door was ajar. He proceeded with caution. 'There shouldn't be much to worry about. Only a teacher could open this door… unless its' Kenshin shivered, 'Saito.' Kenshin stood to the side of the door and pushed it open with the sheath of his katana. As he peeked around the corner he noticed Dumbledore's nightcap thingie above the back of the overstuffed armchair by the fire. He breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the room.

"Good morning Kenshin" came Dumbledore's familiar voice from across the room.

Kenshin smiled and returned the greeting "Ohayo, err Good morning Dumbledore" Kenshin paused as he slid his sheath back into his obi (belt) and then opened with a question. "So when's my first class?"

Dumbledore's voice answered him distractedly, "Your first class… in about forty-five minutes."

"Oh, and what time is it now?" Kenshin walked over to the wizard's side and noticed the source of his distraction. He had a book in his lap and was reading the rather aged volume. The wizard turned a slightly yellowed page and answered.

"Around seven."

"Ah" said Kenshin contemplatively.

After about three minutes of reading Dumbledore closed the book and set it aside on the small table next to the chair. He stood, straightened his robes, and turned to Kenshin.

"It seems there won't be enough time to go down to the Hall for breakfast. I'll have the house elves send it up here."

Kenshin grinned "Oh what a shame. Well I'll just wait here."

The older man chuckled, "If you really don't want to eat meals in the Great Hall then I'll have them sent up here from now on."

"Thanks… Oh I almost forgot! When is the first class over today?"

"I believe it ends around a 8:45… Is there somewhere you need to be?"

"Yes," Kenshin said in an annoyed tone, "training, but I can find my own way there." He switched his irate expression for a smile when he noticed Dumbledore watching him intently.

"Hmmm, do you know when it will end?" The auburn-haired man queried.

"Uh, no" Kenshin blinked. "I hadn't even thought about it and my instructor didn't say..."

"Well then, when you are finished training just find a teacher and ask their help. That is, only if you need directions to get to your next class."

Kenshin rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish gesture. "This place is just so big and confusing so… I might have to put that advice into practice."

8

Kenshin walked in a general downward direction hoping to find an exit from the huge castle. Each time he found a staircase he went down it. 'Maybe there will be an exit on the lowest floor,' he mused. After about ten minutes Kenshin decided to take a shortcut.

'I don't want to be late for a 'special' training session, after all. That sadistic wolf might curse me if I show up late. Well he'll probably curse me anyway, but being on time is a good habit to keep.'

Kenshin saw what he was looking for at the corner of the long corridor. 'A balcony.' The young swordsman looked over the edge of the stone railing. 'Awesome! This is the second floor. Then I'll just do this!' Kenshin hopped over the railing and dropped ten feet onto the soft grass. 'Now to find the main entrance. I think it faces south, so I can find our meeting place from there.'

Kenshin walked away from the castle to get a better idea of which direction he needed to go. Off to the left he noticed a rough-hewn log cabin. To the right he saw the curve of the forest line and some open ground with a few high pillars and hoops.

'Hmm, it looks like some type of arena.' Kenshin chose to go towards the cabin side. 'If all else fails, I can ask an adult for directions.'

Kenshin's choice proved correct, because once he reached the cabin he saw the glimmer of a lake and a large path leading away from the enormous castle. ' I'll go around the lake to the tree line. Hopefully Saito isn't there waiting to ambush me.'

As the short boy (for his age anyway) came closer to the forest he noticed that there were a lot of young robed students walking about looking for something on the ground. Kenshin scanned the area for their teacher and approached her purposefully.

"No, No that's not right. You see the leaves are supposed to be rounded and long. These leaves are jagged and there are only two in each cluster."

"Excuse me Ma'am"

The short middle-aged woman turned from her explanation to look at Kenshin inquiringly. Whisps of light brown hair that had fallen free of her lose bun floated about her round face.

"Yes, Mr…." She waited for a response.

"Himura," Kenshin replied meeting her curious gaze proudly.

"Is there something you need Mr. Himura?" She smiled at the red-haired boy.

"Yes I was wondering if you have seen a tall man," Kenshin extended his arm up all the way in illustration of his instructors height, "with scary eyes and a sword around here anywhere?"

The woman raised a brown eyebrow. "I don't believe I've seen anyone fitting that description around here."

"He also might've been smoking," Kenshin added hopefully. 'Oh I hope I didn't miss him."

The woman smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry sweetie I haven't seen him, but if I do I'll let you know alright."

"Professor Sprout!" came a whiney voice.

The woman turned away from Kenshin to help her student, "What is it Marlene."

Kenshin turned away from the scene in disinterest and looked helplessly around at his surroundings, 'I guess he's not here. I know I'm in the right place. Maybe he's late or something.' Kenshin wandered about between the searching students, gradually drifting towards the forest line. He hoped, foolishly, that he might find Saito if he just went closer to the looming trees.

A slight stirring of the wind carried a disturbance to Kenshin's ears. It sounded like something was rustling past huge branches. When the faint sound continued and in fact increased in volume Kenshin also noticed that there was a steady thumping and what seemed to be twigs snapping. 'Footsteps!' Kenshin realized. 'What ever is making that noise must be huge.'

In a serious lapse of judgment Kenshin walked closer to the forbidding trees and tried to peer into their murky depths for the source of the noise.

What had been once a distant rhythmic thudding grew quickly to a loud crashing racket of something extremely large running through the forest. The students could hear it now and all looked up between the teacher and the woods in alarm, waiting for directions or reassurance of some kind. The teacher stood still listening for a split second, trying to decipher what it was that was barreling toward them. She then pulled her wand free from her belt and yelled so all of her students could hear.

"Get away from the trees! Go back to the school! All of you."

Kenshin backed away from the trees slowly with wide violet eyes. He could see something heading right towards them. The tops of the trees were shaking as it passed them by. He reached for his short sword and drew it, brandishing it in front to ward away the figure as well as his own growing unease. Finally in an intelligent move he turned and ran a short distance away.

Just as Kenshin turned around again he saw the source of the racket burst through the final row of trees. He looked up…and up at its ugly slobbering face. The creature bore a vague resemblance to a man, but its green tinted body was much too large and bulky to be mistaken for one. In its hand, as some sort of makeshift club, it held a tree trunk with dirt clods still clinging to its roots.

Kenshin would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't intimidated by its size alone. It was at least two and a half times taller than he and while it didn't look particularly intelligent it did look _very_ angry. Kenshin couldn't even begin to guess what would make such a creature so irate. He had better things to be thinking about anyway.

"Troll!" Screamed several of the children as they scattered in all directions.

The creature lumbered to a stop. Its great hulking body shifting slightly as it looked about. It seemed to be confused by the students running every which way. Obviously it could not decide to pick one to attack if they wouldn't hold still. If it had bothered to look down the troll would have seen three such vessels to receive its anger as all were within a twenty-foot radius of the beast.

The teacher paled at this predicament. She knew she couldn't protect them if they wouldn't stay together. 'Regular stun charms don't work against trolls!' The professor tried in vain to keep track of her students and nearly fainted when she saw that several of the children nearest to the beast had frozen in terror. 'I can't cast anything powerful when they're practically underneath it! There's no way I could miss such a large target, but the troll would fall on my students.' The professor felt a surge of frustration. 'Hufflepuffs! Those silly children don't even have enough courage to run!'

A bright dash of color just in front of the troll caught her eye. 'Its that strange boy from earlier.' The filtered light from the overcast sky glinted dully off of something in his hand. 'A sword? Why is he using that? What does he think he can accomplish by waving that around?'

The boy stood close to the troll staring up at it.

'He looks like some sort of sprite compared to that beast.' Thought Sprout as she cast an eye over the boy.

His odd colorations and strange clothing made quite the ethereal scene, even to a witch. Though he stood tall in front of the troll it luckily still didn't see him.

The professor watched the boy for only a moment of estranged fascination before she leapt into action.

"Mobilcorpus!" The professor aimed her spell at the closest student to the troll. The child barely even noticed she was being lifted, because her gaze was so fixated on the troll looming over her.

'I have to get the students away from it!' the professor cast another spell.

"Accio Selene," Commanded the Herbology professor and the floating girl flew towards her professor, away from the monster.

The troll who had previously no object on which to vent its anger suddenly had a moving target.

Kenshin's blanched as he saw the creatures squinty eyes fix on the girl. 'With its huge stride this thing will reach her before she makes it to the professor. I have to get its attention somehow.'

The young teen darted in the path of the creature just as it took its first step in the direction of the airborne girl. It blinked stupidly at the slight boy a few times and then its features twisted into a snarl. The troll raised its tree trunk from where it drug on the ground to swat him aside. It brought the great club around with force enough to rival the swing of the whomping willow, but Kenshin was simply to fast for this to work, and he easily dodged the swing.

'It's slow' thought Kenshin as he ducked attempt to remove his head from his body, 'Good!'

The boy threw a glance briefly at the professor before returning his attention to the troll. A plan was already forming in his mind.

'She's got one of the immobile students. I'll just have to keep it distracted long enough for her to get that last one. I can't believe that the male student passed out. I hope he's not too embarrassed about that later.' He again focused on his opponent. 'Maybe if I confuse it a little…'

In a change of tactics Kenshin began running in tight circles around the troll. To all watching, his image seemed to blur as he accelerated rapidly. The beast couldn't follow him with its eyes and this made its fury grow even more. It began blindly swinging the tree trunk. This threw the troll slightly off balance and it took a step backwards to right itself. Kenshin knew that it was unintentionally getting closer to the student lying passed out on the ground.

'Crap! This isn't working the way it's supposed to.' He stopped running around the beast and waited for it to notice him. Once its eyes fixed on him he began a slow retreat. Each time the troll swung its trunk he dodged artfully and backed up several strides. Slowly Kenshin lead the beast away from the unconscious student.

'I think we're far enough away. Now all I have to do is drop it.' Kenshin's breathing was still even as he darted about the grassy meadow avoiding swings from the troll. 'One hit from this thing could kill me,' Kenshin noted as he watched the rippling of the troll's massive muscles with each swing.

The tree trunk smashed down next to Kenshin with bone breaking force. The young swordsman stared in disbelief at the crater it left behind in the soft turf. 'That was a little too close for comfort. I have to get that club away from it.'

Kenshin stood still waiting for the next swing. 'Come on! I'm an easy target. You know you want to squish me.' In answer to Kenshin's thoughts the troll brought the club downwards in another attempt to turn Kenshin into jelly. 'Wait…now!' Kenshin dove forward towards the troll and sliced upward through the ligaments of its wrist. It howled and the club fell to the ground behind Kenshin with a dull thump. The troll grabbed its ruined wrist with its other hand and created such a racket with its yowling that Kenshin winced and was forced to cover his sensitive ears.

'It will never be able to use that hand again' thought Kenshin with satisfaction even as he cringed at the enraged yells of the troll.

As many animals do when wounded, this one attacked again with more ferocity than before. Kenshin hadn't been expecting it to recover quite so quickly and so he hadn't retreated fast or far enough.

The massive creature swung its bloody arm low and made contact with Kenshin's legs. Kenshin ended up doing a pinwheel flip. He landed on his side at an odd angle with a sickening crack. Fire laced up his leg to his knee. An involuntary yell escaped his throat at the initial pain, but Kenshin held fast to his wakazashi. As he attempted to sit up the troll's usable hand pressed him down to the ground with crushing force and knocked the air from his lungs.

The troll grinned triumphantly. It had just trapped the fly.

Kenshin held his sword in a white knuckled grip as the troll leaned in closer to inspect its prize. Its hand held down Kenshin's broken leg(s) but his sword arm was free. In a desperate swing he cut deeply into its throat. The creature let out a strange gurgling noise and a dark red bubble of blood formed in the corner of its large green lips. In a spasm it pushed itself away from the fallen boy and pawed futilely at its slit neck. After about twenty seconds of these meaningless movements it fell hard to the ground… dead, crimson blood still seeping sluggishly out of the killing wound on its neck.

Kenshin stared at the troll in disbelief. 'I didn't know its blood would be red.' As his thoughts gradually came back into focus the boy again felt the burning in his right leg. When he looked down he saw that his white hakama was stained with a generous amount of the troll's blood. His lower right leg lay at an odd angle.

The sight made him nauseous and his head swam. 'I have to go to the healers,' he thought sluggishly. Kenshin used his short sword and his good leg to push himself into an unsteady upright position. He hopped in a state of shock towards the main entrance of the castle. One leg was useless as it drug behind him. He stopped in his progress when he came face to chest with a human wall.

A familiar drawl broke through to his fuzzy brain, "It appears I'm a little late." The ministry instructor took hold of Kenshin's upper arms and held the boy away from his body where he had slumped. "How repulsive. You're covered in blood. I wouldn't want any of that ruining my nice new shirt now would I."

Kenshin just blinked dully at the ministry representative.

"It seems that you are in no shape to practice today." Saito sighed dramatically, "what a bother."

At the sound of nearby shouting Saito turned his head to look over his shoulder then looked back at Kenshin. The teen's violet eyes were staring at Saito's midsection in so comatose a fashion that he might as well have been unconscious.

"Europeans are slow. The reinforcements are just coming now," said Saito more to himself than to the insensible boy he held upright.

Madame Wentworth, Dumbledore, Professor Honoré and Professor Sprout came running into view with their wands drawn. All but Wentworth stopped short when they saw Saito holding up a bloodied Kenshin.

The school mediwitch put on a businesslike face and marched over to Saito, who stood watching the teachers with an unimpressed stare. Kenshin hung limply from his outstretched arms.

"Excuse me sir, but I must examine the pa-"

Saito interrupted the healer with Kenshin's diagnostic, "He has a dislocated knee and has fractured his lower right leg" Saito glanced at Kenshin's glazed eyes. "I also believe that he is in a state of shock."

Madame Wentworth stared disbelievingly at the tall Japanese man for a few seconds and then shook her head.

"Sorry, What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't," replied Saito with an irritated drawl. He released an unresponsive Kenshin and Madame Wentworth out of instinct jumped forward to catch the boy. When she looked up again the man was gone.

Dumbledore watched the exchange while the professors Honoré and Sprout checked on the troll.

8

Saito stalked away from the death scene, 'That didn't go exactly as planned.' A scowl grew on his face. 'He should have killed it much easier than that.'

"Hello" came the cheerful voice of Albus Dumbledore.

Saito continued walking.

The transfiguration professor fell into step beside Saito.

"You would be Mr. Himura's instructor, correct?"

Saito stopped and turned the full weight of his golden glare upon the professor.

"Candy?" said Dumbledore with an innocent smile as he held out a brightly wrapped sugary delight.

In answer Saito began walking again.

Dumbledore watched as Saito disappeared around a corner of the building. 'He seems rather disagreeable,' thought Dumbledore in a mental understatement as he popped the proffered candy into his own mouth.

8

Shinta wandered down the narrow street. The fading red light of the sun made his shadow stretch ahead like an amorphous nightmare. Shinta, a boy of only four years, was not yet capable of complex feelings such as apprehension or suspense. Nonetheless the gritty dilapidated buildings inspired fear in the child. Their darkened windows leered at him with jagged glass smiles.

The few people out in the growing darkness were trying to leave this particular section of town for their more comfortable homes. They didn't even spare a glance for the little redheaded child as he walked aimlessly about the street.

'Mommy and Daddy never came out of their room. I'm hungry. When will they come and find me?' Tears welled up in the tiny boy's eyes. He sat down where he was on the ground and let quiet sobs rack his small frame.

A swish of cloth and the sweet smell of peaches drifted into Shinta's senses. He looked up to see a young woman wearing an off the shoulder kimono. Its bright colors and scanty covering clearly marked her as a lady of the night, but as young as he was Shinta didn't know that she was different from anyone else. The woman was pretty and smiled kindly at him and so the little boy was not afraid.

"Are you lost little one?" the young woman spoke with a voice like water.

Shinta sniffed loudly and nodded, tears still leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

"What is your name little boy?" she asked in a relaxed manner.

"Shinta" he said in a watery voice.

"My name is Akane. I… live around here." She paused and a morose expression covered her face. She looked away from Shinta for a moment. When she looked back her face was smooth again.

"Come with me then." She smiled kindly. "I'll help you look for your parents tomorrow. It is too late to be out searching." She held out a delicate long fingered hand. Her long honey brown hair spilled over her shoulder as she leaned forward slightly.

Shinta's large violet eyes locked onto her willowy hand and without hesitation he placed his tiny hand into hers.

She led him down dark alleys across lamp lit streets and through the deep shadows of unknown buildings. When both finally reached the destination the girl pulled Kenshin through the front door of a dimly lit building. Strange smells and sounds filled the air. At face value the place could be taken as a cheap bar, but the hungry men leering at Akane gave away the true nature of the establishment. Akane pushed Kenshin behind her legs, effectively hiding him as she hurried through the room. They scuttled down a short hallway and through a door at the end.

"Akane what-" a girl dressed in a _very_ short loosely tied robe turned from looking in a mirror and caught sight of Shinta, "-were you doing…out when…" the dark haired girl slowed to a stop and then looked directly into Akane's black eyes.

"What is this?" she pointed at Shinta. "He's a bit young to be in want of service."

"He was lost so I brought him here," said Akane defensively. "It's just for tonight Kasumi. I'm taking him to his parents tomorrow."

Kasumi gave Akane a scowl and then looked at the small boy with a helpless expression. When he lifted his watery eyes to meet hers she turned her back to the pair with a sigh and continued fixing her hair in the mirror.

"Fine do whatever you want Akane. Just keep him from seeing things he shouldn't. I wouldn't want the kid to lose that innocent look.

Akane let out a breath she'd been holding, "Thanks Kasumi."

Akane propped Shinta up on her futon. Her own futon was virtually unused because of the particular profession that Akane had fallen into. She rarely slept in her own room.

"Shinta tell me. Do you know where you live? What the buildings look like around your house."

Shinta answered immediately, "We live by the water. Sometimes Daddy brings home fish."

"Oh you live near a lake," Akane repeated dully. She began to get a sinking feeling that left an uncomfortable weight in her stomach. Only yesterday she had seen smoke over near Sakura lake. From what she'd heard of people's conversations. That section of the city was closed off. It'd been happening more and more lately. Random areas of the town were quarantined and then burnt to the ground in the name of the emperor. He claimed the enemies in Korea were releasing diseases to try to start an epidemic. She looked at the seemingly healthy four-year-old as he turned his head about to look at all the ornaments adorning the walls. Akane looked heavenward in a moment of pleading. 'Please Kami don't let my act of kindness be the death of me.'

8

Kenshin woke slowly. At first he wasn't sure where he was, but once he realized-

'Why can't I wake up in my own bed for once? Is it in my fate to wake up in a cold unfamiliar place?'

By the time Kenshin finally opened his eyes he knew that he was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. He could easily recognize the smell of medical herbs and clean sheets. He sat up and turned to look at Dumbledore who was sitting in a chair besides the bed reading a newspaper. On the front there was a moving black and white picture of a pretty witch laughing and signing books for a happy looking crowd.

"Mr. Himura, How are you this morning?" said Dumbledore as he lowered the newspaper.

"Fine. If you ignore the fact that I have been knocked out at least three times in a row this week."

Dumbledore chuckled, folded the newspaper and set it on the table beside the bed.

"You're very talented, it seems. I myself have only passed out twice in one week." He paused thoughtfully with a nostalgic smile. "Of course that was a result of my own …ahem overindulgence, instead of bodily trauma."

Kenshin gave the older man an odd look, which Dumbledore returned with an over innocent smile.

Dumbledore coughed and changed the subject. "I hope you're feeling better," he said sincerely. "I'm sorry that after only a few days of being here you've been hospitalized twice."

Kenshin was caught off guard by the shift in conversation. "Oh no, It's fine Mr. Dumbledore. I'm used to injuries."

"Are you?" He raised his graying eyebrows, "I hadn't thought that swordsmanship was so harsh during training. It must be discouraging to be knocked unconscious so often."

"Uhh… yeah, sometimes."

"On the subject of your training," continued Dumbledore in an inquisitive tone, "did you ever get to meet your teacher for instruction yesterday?"

"Oh…" Kenshin blinked as if he had completely forgotten about it, "no, I never found him. I went to the place he said and then I heard the monster in the trees. It ran out and attacked the students so I had to distract it…" Kenshin trailed off with a thoughtful look on his face. He looked Dumbledore in the eye. "Do monsters from the forest often attack students?"

Dumbledore shook his head in answer, "No, trolls do not usually come near to the school grounds. However they will attack anyone who goes off alone in the forest. That is one of the many reasons why the forest is off limits to students."

"Weird." Kenshin flopped back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Yes very peculiar. One would almost think that it was led there…" Dumbledore ended as he stood.

"I'll have breakfast sent to you, so just wait here. I'll lead you to your class after."

Dumbledore started to turn away to leave, but then remembered something and looked back at Kenshin. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. I spoke to your instructor yesterday after you were hospitalized."

"Oh," Kenshin sat up in interest, "What did he say?"

"Not much." Dumbledore paused thoughtfully, "but I believe he is a normal sort of person."

Kenshin snorted and looked at Dumbledore disbelievingly.

"What gave you _that_ idea?"

"He didn't accept candy from me," said the older man simply as he turned and left a staring Kenshin behind.

8

As Kenshin stepped out into the emptying hallway from his second class of the day he listened for the familiar footsteps of his guide, but he couldn't hear them over the clamor of the retreating students. The red haired boy stepped into the soft light entering one of the many windows. This one overlooked a small courtyard. He looked down at the tops of the trees and the carpet of dark green grass. Rain sprinkled softly against the window. Kenshin shivered. He knew that Scotland grew colder than Tennessee much earlier in the year, but he wasn't quite prepared for the change. He leaned his head against the cold glass and watched his breath fog the clear image of the courtyard below.

His thoughts drifted slowly to him as if from far away

'Did I make the right choice in coming here?'

"Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin jumped, and turned around quickly to hide his embarrassment.

"Hello, Mr. Dumbledore. I didn't hear you coming." Kenshin smiled up at the older man. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"And here I thought I was being loud."

"ahehe, I wasn't really paying attention.' Kenshin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"We can't always pay attention to our surroundings," said Dumbledore with a faint smile.

Kenshin watched Dumbledore with a thoughtful gaze. "That makes sense to me," he said after a pause. He looked both ways down the hall. "Where am I going now.

Dumbledore's face lost his smile and he looked a little nervous himself. "It seems that Headmaster Dippet has scheduled a meeting with you. Hopefully it is to congratulate your brave efforts for saving Professor Sprout's class."

"Oh, I didn't think that he would do something like that. I know he doesn't like my being here very much."

"It does seem strange doesn't it?" said Dumbledore quietly as he turned and started walking toward the headmaster's office. Kenshin followed reluctantly.

8

The suit of armor creaked open forebodingly. Kenshin hesitantly stepped in behind Dumbledore.

Dippet sat in his polished desk writing on a parchment. He didn't look up at the entrance of the two supplicants, but motioned with a thin hand for them to sit.

Just as Kenshin settled nervously into his chair, Dippet set his quill down with a "Clack" that made the nervous teen start. He leveled Kenshin with a glare.

"What were the rules I told you to observe during your stay in this school?" he said in a steely voice.

Kenshin's violet eyes widened at the headmaster's hostile tone. "… Umm you said not to let my swords be seen and not to talk to the students more than I had to."

"Was that all I said?" the headmaster articulated slowly.

"No, you said-"

Dippet cut him off, "I said no intimidating the students!"

Kenshin leaned back in his seat at the outburst. His initial alarm at the odd turn in the conversation gave way to confusion.

"When did I break that rule?"

"Several students notified me yesterday that a red-haired oriental assaulted them in the hallway."

Kenshin tilted his head to the side in thought his eyebrows creased in concentration. His eyes widened in recollection.

"I remember…" he began, then paused with a glare at the Headmaster. "They attacked _me_," he continued in a frosty tone.

"You think that I'll believe you when THREE students say they saw you?"

Kenshin frowned. "It is the truth," he said simply.

Dippet and Kenshin locked gazes in a silent battle.

"Maybe you should explain further" interjected Dumbledore calmly.

Kenshin spoke. "They attacked me after they said they had heard of me and that I was a … um... something… and that I was trying to join the school."

"What did they call you?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

Kenshin ended the staring contest with Dippet and shifted his attention to the transfiguration professor.

"Mmm… began Kenshin, "something to do with blood."

Dumbledore gave Dippet a pointed glance before filling in the blank.

"Mudblood?"

Dippet looked sharply at the auburn haired man.

"Yeah that's the word they used" Kenshin confirmed.

Dumbledore looked at the headmaster. "These students didn't happen to be Slytherin did they?" he asked as though he already knew the answer.

"What does that have to do with anything?" said Dippet defensively.

"Slytherins harbor a certain dislike for anyone of 'questionable parentage' as they so phrase it. They might have exaggerated their case a bit to inconvenience Mr. Himura."

"Still" the headmaster glared at Kenshin, "some type of punishment is in order."

"Not so" Dumbledore interjected. "It's just their word against Kenshin's."

Dippet snorted, "I'll believe the lowliest student over an outsider."

"Then I am glad I am here," said Dumbledore truthfully.

Dippet noticed Dumbledore's familiar expression of unwavering stubbornness and sighed. "Perhaps in light of his aiding in the rescue of Professor Sprout's class from the troll we will overlook his other transgressions."

"Thank you Armando. You are very kind. Now if you will excuse us…"

"Of course by all means go," said Dippet impatiently as he waved a thin hand towards the exit.

8

The next six days seemed to blur together even though the classes were all interesting. Now he mostly audited the older classes but also sat in on some of the younger years. It was fair to say he learned almost as much from the students as he did from the teacher. Teachers didn't usually talk about Quiddich, curses or magical candy. Kenshin hadn't received much conventional socialization with children his own age so he found the antics of the students profoundly interesting.

Evening lessons Saito were not so easy. Saito's strength and magical abilities, not to mention his longer reach made him a formidable adversary, but Kenshin was by no means an easy target. He was fast and light on his feet. Nine years of training made his blade merely an extension of himself. Even with his magic Saito could not take Kenshin lightly as an opponent. And While Kenshin could never seem to defeat the wizard, at least he knew what he was up against. This fact was proved when Kenshin only had to go down to the hospital wing once more in the following six days of training.

8

It was Friday again, Kenshin's last Friday at Hogwarts before he left for Japan. He was once again auditing Care of Magical Creatures. This time it was a fifth year class, Slytherin and Gryffandor.

Professor Ketelburn stood at the front of the class. They were currently standing on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest with the students arranged in a wide half circle around the teacher. At Kettelburn's left side there was a strange gangly creature with protruding bat like ears. It was sitting on the ground staring, mesmerized, at a piece of tinfoil that was charmed to sparkle and dance about. If it had been standing it would have reached about three feet high. It's spidery fingers and toes were tipped with vicious looking black claws. The creatures long devil's tail waved through the air much like a contented cat's. It wore a strange medley of shiny objects around its neck wrists and ankles, mostly just shiny pieces of junk such as soda tabs, bottlecaps, tin foil, and plastic beads.

"Does anyone know what type of imp this is?" Kettelburn looked hopefully around the class for raised hands.

She felt gratified when several hands lifted reluctantly into the air.

"Yes Mr. Johnson" she pointed at a tall lanky boy in the front row.

The boy smiled awkwardly at the teacher and answered her question. "It's a Scottish imp Ma'am."

"Wonderful! five points to Gryffandor." The teacher beamed at the usually quiet boy.

Kenshin shifted his weight onto his other leg and watched the strange creature try to snatch the dancing foil out of the air. He looked around at the students. They watched the teacher and the imp with varying degrees of interest. Some students carried on whispered conversations covertly so the teacher wouldn't see them.

"Can anyone tell me the differences between this type of imp and the South American breed.

At this question the few hands in the air lowered instantly. All the students shifted waiting for someone else to answer the question.

A handsome Slytherin wearing a prefects badge sighed irritably when none of the other students answered the question and raised his hand slowly as if it was an act of charity that he wanted everyone to notice.

The teacher's face broke into a relieved smile when she saw the hand float into the air. She pointed at Tom indicating him to speak.

Riddle stood straighter and brought his hand back to his side. He took a deep breath before entering on the explanation.

"The Scottish imp is less intelligent and the venom from its claws is not fatal to humans. It has a penchant for anything with luster, be it a diamond ring or a piece of broken glass. The South American imp is much more dangerous. It has extremely poisonous claws and teeth. It also has wings, but can hide them at will and is resistant to weaker spells. This type of imp is also more intelligent and has more sophisticated tastes in glittering objects. It covets gold, silver and precious gems. It is able to speak, but is still considered a magical beast because it is too covetous and aggressive to be a part of wizard society."

"Wonderful, Mr. Riddle! Ten points to Slytherin for that detailed description." Ketelburn continued on in explanation of the imp's diet and habitat.

When the teacher said Riddle's name the imp fixed the boy with a brief intense stare before returning it's attention to the sparkly meant to capture its attention. This look did not escape the Slytherin and he monitored the imp from the corner of his eye suspiciously.

'That was a rather focused gaze for a hypnotized imp.' He crossed his arms nonchalantly reaching up his sleeve as he did so. The smooth wood surface of his wand was a comfort to the handsome fifteen-year-old wizard and he visibly relaxed once his fingers were curled around it.

Kenshin's attention had been on Riddle ever since he opened his mouth to answer the teacher. 'It's that guy again, the one with the strange aura. He makes me nervous just standing there,' Kenshin studied the other boy from the corner of his eye. Luckily for him the crowd of students between them made his scrutiny less obvious.

"Mr. Riddle," the teacher stopped her explanation for a moment to bestow a smile on the unsuspecting prefect. "Since you gave such a wonderful explanation earlier I was wondering if you might show the class the proper incantation for subduing the imp." She waited a brief moment for Tom to nod in the affirmative before waving him over. "Good now if you could show the class the proper procedure…"

'Dear God am I the only intelligent one in this class?' Tom sighed as he uncrossed his arms bringing his wand to bear as he did so.

'At least this is another opportunity to show my adept skills in front of the people who really matter.' Tom was of course referring to his Slytherin classmates. His face broke into a satisfied smirk.

'With every display of competence and leadership I come closer to achieving my goal. Once I am free of this disgrace of a school I can realize my dream.'

The tall fifth year walked confidently towards the imp with his wand held easily at his side. He stopped two arms lengths away from the creature and looked over it to the teacher for instructions.

"When I release the charm, cast the proper spell to enchant the foil once more. If for some reason the charm does not work I will subdue the imp accordingly."

Riddle stood at attention. He met the teacher's eyes and nodded for her to release the spell. 'Here it goes,' he thought blithely.

The imp blinked as the foil as it lost its unnatural luster. It's eyes followed the path of the paper thin metal scrap as it floated to the ground. The imp wasted little time staring at the not so interesting piece of metal before turning its focus onto the nearest person.

Tom, seeing that the imp's black eyes were now focused on him, raised his wand and said the proper incantation clearly. "Lustra leviosa." The charm appeared to have worked except the imp didn't seem interested in the foil scrap anymore. Instead it smiled at Tom widely showing him very clearly a row of pointed teeth.

At the imps obvious inattention to the merrily dancing scrap of foil the teacher frowned and raised her wand to subdue the imp before it had the chance to reach any of the students. "Stupify," she said calmly. The imp dropped to the ground unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of its chest.

Riddle breathed a sigh of relief and then felt a flash of anger. 'Why didn't my spell work? I know I cast it properly. With trepidation he looked over at the group of students. The Slytherin's sneered openly at him and the Gryffandor's hid smiles and stifled laughter behind their hands.

'Damn those little traitors! I make one mistake and they discredit my abilities. I'll show them how skilled I really am.' he thought darkly. His thought was interrupted when he saw something rushing towards him out of the corner of his eye. His heart lurched into his throat as he his eyes focused on the imp that was flying at him, its wings fully extended.

'Wings!' the handsome boy's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards.

He raised his wand realizing fully that ordinary spells would be useless against it since the teacher's frightened shouts of "petrificus totalis" were obviously not affecting the situation.

'I don't want to die,' he thought in a rush, 'to hell with explanations.'

The incantation for the killing curse was on the tip of his tongue. He knew he would be questioned for knowing such a curse and using it, but none of that mattered now as the imp's lethal claws flew towards their target with alarming speed.

As the first syllable of the unforgivable had formed in his mouth a red haze passed in front of him and the imp exploded into several pieces. He cringed involuntarily and raised his arm to cover his eyes as a mist of blood spattered his face.

When Tom lowered his arm a strange sight greeted him. Not three feet in front of him stood the strange red-haired boy. His back was to Tom and the imp's crimson blood dripped down the blade of his gleaming short sword.

'I didn't even see him move,' was Riddle's bewildered thought as he stood gaping at the younger teen. For one breathless moment the class stood still, unbelieving.

The teacher was the first to recover. "That…that was no Scottish imp!" She said in a shocked voice. She shook her head and ran to check Kenshin and Tom for injuries.

"Mr. Riddle, Mr. Himura are you both alright?" There was a note of panic in her voice as she voiced her next question. "Dear Lord, were either of you scratched?"

"No," said the redhead as he stared at the remains of the imp.

Riddle, still unable to speak, shook his head, his eyes fixed on the same gruesome picture.

It took Tom only a minute to realize what he'd just been saved from. The Oriental had unwittingly kept him from casting 'Avada Kadavra' and so saved him from revealing to the staff at Hogwarts that he knew the dark spell in the first place. He fought to keep a smile from spreading a cross his face as he _knew_ it wasn't appropriate at the moment.

'No need to have anyone question my sanity,' Riddle chuckled inwardly.

The students now had time to react to the unexpected occurance and as one seemed to back away in revulsion.

Riddle stood straighter and cast a scourgifiying charm on himself. These were expensive robes and he only had a few sets. The sight of blood most certainly didn't bother him. In fact the little beast had got what it deserved. 'It tried to kill _me_ after all.'

It had occurred to him that the imp was of the South American breed and that someone had either made a very big mistake (unlikely) or they deliberately placed it there where it had a prime opportunity to kill anyone it choose.

'There are plenty of students standing about so why did it attack me?…unless I was its intended target from the beginning. It looked at me the moment the teacher identified my name with my face.' His eyes narrowed. 'Who would want me dead?'

His attention focused on the boy in front of him when the red head flicked his sword sending sparkling drops of blood to the lush grass. Amazingly there was no excess blood left on the sword and the young teen slid it cleanly back into its sheath. Finally he tore his unusual eyes from the cooling corpse and looked around 'in fear' realized Riddle, at the faces of the students until his natural line of vision ended on Riddle.

"Thank you" said Tom clearly. "You saved my life."

Kenshin seemed not to hear him and looked away from Tom back to the imp's body with the same wide-eyed expression.

The teacher by now had regained some of her wits and began pushing the students away from the scene all the while muttering things like. "The ministry will hear about this. That company is in _so_ much trouble! Not from Scottland at all." She paused from shooing the other students back to the castle and looked at Kenshin. After giving him a silent once over she spoke.

"Come away from there dear, You to Mr. Riddle. I think both of you should go to the nurse. God only knows what effect an imp's blood has on human skin."

Kenshin gave the woman the same look he gave the students earlier. The professor was obviously waiting for a response and when Kenshin proved unresponsive she looked to Riddle.

He answered quickly for his silent companion. "Of course Professor Ketelburn. I'll make sure we both go there immediately."

"Good." She looked between the two a few times before leaning in to Riddle. "Make sure Madame Wentworth takes extra care with that one. He's acting quite strangely."

"Yes, I'll tell her the whole story. You needn't worry Professor." Tom smiled placatingly at Ketelburn. The witch seemed satisfied with his response and left quickly to follow the class into the castle.

"Well Kenshin shall we be going?" said Riddle in an amused voice.

Hearing his name seemed to snap the younger boy out of his fearful trance and he narrowed his eyes in a confused manner. "How do you know my name?"

"I listen" said Riddle mysteriously as he began walking towards the castle.

Kenshin followed the older boy after several heartbeats. He studiously avoided letting his eyes settle on the imp's carcass.

"So Himura what brings you to Hogwarts?" asked Riddle with a sideways glance at his shorter companion.

Kenshin looked at the passing ground silently.

"You can tell me. Honestly I won't bite."

The prefect's attempt at humor fell flat, but Kenshin answered him nonetheless.

"I…am not allowed to say," he mumbled awkwardly.

"Alright then" Riddle said easily as they walked up the steps. "How old are you?"

"Thirteen" said Kenshin quietly after a pause.

Riddle raised his eyebrows in surprise "You look younger," he stated in a matter of fact voice.

"I know" said Kenshin. He looked both ways down the main hall trying to remember which way to go.

"It's this way" Riddle gestured down the left corridor. The two fell into step beside each other in silence until they reached the infirmary doors.

"Once again I thank you Himura You saved my life."

Kenshin nodded not looking at the older boy.

When Riddle made as if to leave Kenshin spoke.

"Wait, didn't Kettelburn tell us both to go to Wentworth?"

Riddle stopped but didn't look back. "I can decide for myself if I am feeling well. I don't need some witch to confirm it."

The red-headed boy shrugged and passed through the doors to the infirmary. He stood waiting in the entrance looking around the spacious sunlit room.

A movement in the back of the room caught his eye.

"So you came here on your own two feet this time. What's the problem?" The squat form of Madame Wentworth followed her voice out of the back office. The woman was probably only a few inches taller than Kenshin and had light brown hair pulled back into a neat bun. Wentworth ever in nurse mode came straight to Kenshin and began to check his vitals.

"Hmmm still a muggle. Eyes normal." She took his wrist in her hand and watched the clock. "Pulse normal." She squinted at him and pulled out her wand. "What exactly is the problem Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin floundered for the words to describe his experience with delicacy. "The imp attacked a student and I …got some of its blood on me."

The healer tutted, "An imp's blood. Well let's see now." She waved her wand around the quiet boy a few times while muttering incantations under her breath. "Nothing" she said finally. "No residual magic. In fact there is less magical radiation on you than when you first came here. Unusual." She walked around him in a circle.

"I don't see any blood Mr. Himura, but I think maybe you should stay here for a few minutes just to make sure you don't have a reaction of some sort. Just have a seat on a bed and I'll tell you when you can go."

8

Twenty minutes later Kenshin sat on the corner of a bed with his head nodding forward trying unsuccessfully to remain awake, when the doors of the infirmary burst open and a boy with another floating unconscious behind him sped into the room.

"What's all that racket! This is an infirmary not a quiddich pitch." The healer rushed from the back room to meet the students.

"Sorry Mrs.Wentworth, but there was a potions accident."

"Bring the patient here quickly," said the mediwitch as she pointed to a nearby bed. "What happened?"

"His potion was the right color and everything, but when he drank it this happened." He gestured to the boy's large batlike ears and the strange fine dark fur covering the surface of his normally pale skin. "And then he grabbed his head and dropped right there."

"What potion were you making?" asked the healer curiously.

"A potion to improve night vision" answered the skinny blond boy.

Wentworth gave him a look.

"He really messed this one up," explained the blond. "Will he be alright?"

The healer gave the boy a careful once over before turning to his friend. "Yes Glenn he'll be just fine. Don't you worry."

Glenn let out a breath he'd been holding and then chuckled. "He'll feel like a git when he wakes up. What I wouldn't give for one of those camera things right now." He sighed. "But they're so expensive."

Wentworth smiled indulgently at the second year, and then raised her eyes to stare just past his shoulder.

"Oh you're still here, are you? You may go anytime Mr. Himura, unless you aren't feeling well."

"I'm fine" said Kenshin quickly, not liking the look of curiosity sent his way by the blond second year. He rose from the bed and swiftly walked out of the still open infirmary doors.

8

Later that evening Kenshin slid the door to the training room open with an audible snap. 'No use in trying to remain silent when Saito can sense my presence within twenty meters.'

Kenshin quickly located his instructor who was over in his favorite corner. The two stared at each other for an immeasurable moment. Then Saito spoke.

"You are aware that today is your last here?" It wasn't really a question so Kenshin didn't answer. Instead he stepped fully into the room and asked one of his own.

"Will there be a test?"

Saito watched Kenshin with an amused look that never ceased to irritate the boy.

"A test? What for? You were chosen because you are 'sufficient' for the job. Or so the Ministry thinks. I have yet to be convinced."

Kenshin struggled not to glare at his instructor for that last statement.

"Then I will convince you right now," said the redhead, his voice tight.

"Very well, If you must" Saito languidly pushed off the wall and straightened his clothing deliberately before walking to the center of the room. Kenshin took his customary place opposite the wizard. As always the two faced each other down (or in Kenshin's case, up) waiting for some intangible signal to begin their fight.

One instant the pair stood as immobile as a muggle photograph and the next they flew together in a flurry of swipes and parries. Saito threw hexes and showers of sparks in Kenshin's path and the young swordsman wove through them expertly. He had learned quickly to watch every movement Saito made. Spell and sword were equally dangerous in the tall warrior's hand.

The fight proceeded just as it did every evening. Kenshin felt annoyed by this as he dodged a red streak of light aimed for his sword arm. 'It's time to pick up the pace a little,' he thought as he sped towards his opponent. Their swords clashed together and Kenshin could feel the force of the blow all the way up his arms. He mentally shook himself as he turned and attacked Saito again, refusing to give the older man a chance to cast any spells.

Saito met Kenshin's attacks with ease, deflecting them and returning some of his own.

"Are you truly putting effort into this?" came Saito's drawl.

In answer Kenshin doubled his efforts. In a feint he aimed his sword to his opponent's leg. As expected, Saito brought his sword down to block it. Kenshin saw his opening and thrust his sword towards Saito's neck instead.

The attack pattern was fairly basic and the redhead fully expected Saito to block it. A moment of confusion came over Kenshin when he didn't feel the ring of his sword against his opponent's. 'What just happened?' he asked himself, looking down at the end of his blade with morbid fascination. A drop of red slithered down to the end and fell to the floor.

Time slowed down as the last few seconds danced though his mind. Saito brought his sword down. Kenshin shifted his target. The wizard saw the change and begun to move out of the way, raising his katana to deflect, but he was too slow and now…

As if there was a spell cast upon him Kenshin turned slowly to look at his instructor. Saito lay in a widening pool of blood draining from the killing wound in his neck. His glazed eyes were surprised and fearful. The two emotions looked completely wrong on the formidable man's face.

Kenshin swayed, 'If this is a dream, I'd like to wake up screaming any time now.' A thought slowly filtered into the shocked boy's mind, 'The Ministry will be looking for him' and then, 'they'll come for me!' Kenshin could feel the blood draining from his face.

"I killed him" he whispered. Darkness was clawing at the edges of his mind. In disbelief it was trying to shut itself off. Suddenly angry, Kenshin fought it away. 'I can't stay here' he thought coldly. They'll come looking.' Kenshin flicked his sword to clear off the extra blood and sheathed it back at his side. He purposefully stalked from the room even though he had no clue what he would do next.

Once in the hallway, Kenshin knew he was being watched.

"Who is there?" Kenshin's voice sounded harsh even to his own ears.

"I had hoped to speak with your master" said Riddle as he stepped from the shadow of a suit of armor.

"He is busy." Kenshin said shortly.

Tom watched Kenshin closely as he slowly approached the younger teen.

"You look pale," he stated, "and your voice sounds strange. Perhaps you should go to the nurse."

"I am fine." Kenshin looked at the floor so Tom could only see his blood red bangs.

"Exactly how busy is your master? It is rather important that I speak with him."

"You can't."

"Why exactly?"

There was a minute of silence as Kenshin decided what to tell the nosey prefect.

"I think I do need to see the nurse." said Kenshin. "I feel sick"

Tom sighed at the obvious change of topic and asked the question he already knew the answer to.

"Can you find your own way there?"

"I can't" said Kenshin predictably.

"Alright then, lets go," said Riddle as he gestured down the dim hallway behind Kenshin and made as if to walk that way. No sooner had Kenshin turned around and taken his first step than Riddle had ducked into the empty classroom.

After three steps Kenshin realized Riddle wasn't following and turned to see an empty corridor stretching behind him. Panic rising within him he ran to the door just in time to see the Slytherin sliding open the door to the back room. He calmly rested his hand on the hilt of his sword waiting for Riddle's expression to change from curious to horrified, but confusion was all he saw as the handsome boy turned around.

"I thought you said he was busy. There's no one in here." Riddle paused as he wordlessly took in the placement of Kenshin's hand and his ready posture. The slytherin casually crossed his arms and looked away in disinterest.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes at the boy and stalked forward. Riddle moved to the side so Kenshin could see inside the room.

'Nobody?' Kenshin's mouth fell open and he gripped the doorframe for support. He suddenly realized that Riddle was watching him and he straightened, covering his surprise with a blank look.

"My mistake" Kenshin said easily.

"Yes…" Riddle looked about ready to ask him another question when they were interrupted.

"You wanted to speak with me, boy."

The two teenagers whipped their heads around to stare at the figure blocking the doorway to the hall.

"Only if you're not busy" said Tom sending Kenshin a sideways glance. He noted carefully the white cast of Kenshin's skin and his wide eyes as the shorter boy stared unblinkingly at Saito.

Saito smirked at Kenshin, "Is there something on my face?

Kenshin blinked rapidly and shook his head.

"Oh, in that case you are dismissed. Have fun tomorrow." The last comment held a vicious note that told Tom clearly that he did not mean for Kenshin to enjoy himself.

Saito stepped fully into the dusty classroom allowing Kenshin to scurry past. He fixed Riddle with a stare and waited for the Slytherin to speak.

"Himura seems out of sorts" commented Tom idly.

Saito waited.

"I wonder why?" he continued.

"Is there a point to your comments or am I to assume you are wasting my time?"

Tom sniffed and gave Saito a brief glare.

"I was attacked yesterday."

"Very interesting" said Saito in a bored voice.

"…by an imp." He watched Saito's face closely.

"And?" Saito sounded annoyed now.

"It was targeting me. It wasn't interested in any other students." Tom said thoughtfully. "and then Himura dashed over and chopped it to bits with his sword." He paused. "Strange how he didn't just use some spell to stop it."

Saito frowned, "What do you think I have to do with that?"

"I think you bribed it into attacking me, but I'm not entirely sure why."

"Me?" drawled Saito, "You seem the type to have lots of enemies. Why would you think I had anything to do with it?"

"But I don't have many and I know they didn't do it. So why?"

Saito stood straighter and smiled acidly, "You are prying into things you shouldn't. Don't think for a moment that I don't know you went around stirring up trouble by telling students that my…protégé is a mudblood."

"Now that we're on the subject. What exactly is Himura? He's not a wizard."

"Your questions are beginning to irritate me."

"So you tried to have me killed because I'm curious," stated Riddle

"I tried to have you killed because you were prying into ministry business by asking questions you shouldn't. It's a shame Himura succeeded in his task. Of course either way is fine with me." Saito held up his hands. He kills the imp and passes the test or he fails and an insect is removed. It's a win-win situation."

"You can't kill me that easily" said Tom with an unreadable expression.

Saito eyed the younger man before agreeing, "No I suppose not."

Tom smiled smugly.

Saito smirked back, "See that you stay away from Kenshin, at least while he is in my watch, or next time I will take care of the problem myself."

"Agreed."

8888

Eternal Wanderer (meow)

The boy gets his first tastes of BLOOD in this chapter. It's an addictive elixer that can hold people in thrall. Poor Kenshin has no idea what he might become. He could turn into a vampire or a  
beserker! Creatures that kill out of need; that can't stop killing because it is all they know. Bwhahahaha!

Read their stories, Joining (ranma 1/2, dbz), And the older brother's ninja fates (naruto/Oh my goddess)


	5. The War

Disclaimer: If college students had any money we'd be sued a lot more. If I could get paid to write this story I'd give it all to JK and whoever created Kenshin. If ifity if if blah blah blah in accordance with prophecy. Oh yeah the original characters are mine.

8

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial for once he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James1:12

8

The War

Kenshin leaned against a bedpost. He drew his blade and stared at it, 'no blood, not a speck. So it was a trick. Saito made me think that I…'

Angrily Kenshin snapped the blade back into its sheath. 'And then he acted as if nothing had happened! That dirty-'

Kenshin's irate thoughts were cut off when he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up sharply, only to see the smiling face of his friendly guide.

"I am sorry to have startled you Mr. Himura" came Dumbledore's kind voice.

Belatedly Kenshin realized his white knuckled grip on his sword and released it. 'I hope he didn't see that' thought Kenshin abashedly.

"I came to wish you farewell, but if there is anything troubling you, feel free to tell me," he asked seriously.

Kenshin plastered a false smile onto his face, "It's nothing you could help with, but thank you anyway." He paused staring down at the sword in his hands, apprehension filling his fingers. 'This is the right decision and the only way to change things,' he told himself resolutely. He looked up at Dumbledore. "Thank you for all of your help."

"I am glad I could be of service. I hope that we may meet again."

"I doubt it," said Kenshin sadly.

Dumbledore's eyes lost their sparkle as he watched Kenshin somberly.

"You'd be surprised Kenshin." At his words the boy looked up hopefully. "Time has a way of changing things. The world is not so large."

Kenshin found the mysterious words comforting somehow. "I hope I will see you again someday too," he said truthfully.

8

Hiroshi Kazeshima, beloved by his wife and two children, was a very kind and generous man. He was tall (for being Japanese) and handsome. He was also a tactical genius. It had been two years now since Pearl Harbor, not his biggest accomplishment since he joined the emperor's forces, but the muggles over in America seemed to think so.

Hiroshi took the steps to his home two at a time. He wore his long raven hair back in a high ponytail and it streamed behind him. The light of the setting sun revealed its bluish highlights as the red light danced over his moving form through the spaces in the trees.

It was Hiroshi's birthday and he knew his wife planned something for him. He knew her so well that she could hardly hide anything from him anymore. It had annoyed her at first, being a woman and not able to keep her little secrets, but Keiko had forgiven him. It was his unusual perception into her psyche that had let him fall in love with her in the first place. He treated her like a queen. In return Keiko always seemed to know how to make him happy. She gave the best presents, which was why he was currently so excited.

"Keiko, Good evening," said Hiroshi trying to appear calm and collected as he lifted the latch to his front yard.

His wife gave him a look from where she sat enchanting one of her daughter's play kimonos.

She hid a smile, "Good evening Koishii (beloved)." Keiko knew he had run all the way up the steps, if his heavy breathing and ruffled hair were any indication.

"Your day was good?" asked his wife. She didn't need to ask. Her husband loved serving his country.

"Yes, as always. How were Aki–chan and Ha-chan?"

"_Your _daughters were their regular selves."

"_My_ daughters, hmmm. What did Aki do this time?"

"She jumped in every puddle from here to the marketplace and back. I swear she should have been born a boy."

Hiroshi laughed and sat next to his wife on the porch steps. Her needle flashed in the light of the setting sun as she sewed the enchantment adroitly into the fabric resting in her lap. 'Hand made spells are always more precise than using a wand to fling about magic,' she thought as she proudly held up her handiwork to examine the even beautiful stitching.

"Perfect as always dear heart" commented her husband from where he was reclined next to her.

"It is nothing" she said humbly, "I only hope it keeps the dirt from Akiko's kimono."

"Your charms always work" grinned Hiroshi roguishly.

His wife laughed lightly and gently smacked him on the shoulder "You are the one who uses charms." She stood and entered their home. "The girls are napping. I will wake them for dinner."

He grinned and followed his wife inside.

8

Kenshin sat uneasily amongst a group of men, well mostly men. Light from the early afternoon sun filtered through the traditional paper walls. They wouldn't stay here long, only until sunset. The assignments began at dusk when they broke apart into individual missions. As Kenshin looked around the circle he noticed some of the wizards were young, though none were nearly so young as himself. All carried weapons of some sort. Some carried guns and others swords. Kenshin couldn't see them, but he knew that nearly all of the older assassins had wands and other magical weapons. Kenshin felt out of place. He knew that he was the only muggle in the group, not to mention the youngest.

The leader, one of the two females in the room, sat in the center. Known only as Dai-sama, she had an ordinary appearance and wouldn't be noticed for what she was outside of this room. Here she organized and relayed tasks according to the skills and experience each of the assassins held. Most of the people in the room would use magic against magic. Where magic and gunpowder could not pierce, Kenshin would use his blade.

Tonight his task was high priority. It was given to him because of the targets location, despite its importance. He wasn't the only one with objections to their leader's choice in giving him the mission. It was his first and he felt hopelessly unprepared. He fingered the black envelope in his lap nervously, wondering whose name it contained.

8

"Come Koishii I have your birthday present ready in the shrine room. Keiko took her husband by the hand and pulled him to his feet.

He stood excitedly, "I am glad you had the children go to bed early. Tonight I wanted to spend time with my beautiful wife."

"Say that again after I show you your gift, and I might just agree with you." Keiko said while blushing appropriately.

She led him through the rooms adjoining the shrine to the rest of the house. They paused in the doorway to bow respectfully to their ancestors before entering.

She led him to the center of the room where a fur lined basket sat. Inside it was an oval object about the size of a softball. Hiroshi dropped to his knees before it, gaping at the gift in awe. Finally he tore his gaze away from it to look at his wife.

"H…How did you get this?" he asked bewildered "Is it what I think it is"

Keiko smiled as she settled next to her husband, "It waits only for a drop of your blood and then it will be yours. She pouted cutely, "I'm a little jealous. I hear that they share a special bond with the one who donates their blood."

Hiroshi laughed at her expression and then took her hands in his. "No one is more special to me than you Keiko." He looked at the egg with unveiled interest. "Though I must admit I am looking forward to having her around."

"How do you know it will be female?" asked his wife curiously.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling." He smiled to himself, wondering at the possibilities.

8

"Your letter acts as a portkey. An hour after sunset it will activate and take you to a place near your target. There is a magical barrier around the location so you will have to appear outside the wards. We will send Haru-san with you to show you the entrance, but he cannot enter because the wards will detect any intruding magical presence and warn the master of the estate. Eliminate the target and any witnesses. The portkey will activate when you leave the barrier. Do you have any questions."

"Uh, yes the part about witnesses… I don't think" he trailed off helplessly.

His leader, Dai-sama, smiled apologetically, "Mr. Himura, if someone sees you and reports you to the Emperor's army, you will be recognized wherever you go. You would be useless as an assassin. You would be putting the peace of the world in jeopardy."

Kenshin suddenly felt very young, "yes, you are right. I'm sorry for asking."

"Don't worry, just do your duty and you may ask as many questions as you like." Dai stood, "It is almost time, Good luck and don't think about it too much Himura-san. She nodded to his partner, "Haru-san I'll see you this evening to hear your report." Their leader left the room gracefully.

Haru rose from his kneeling position and stretched his spidery legs, "Come on Himura we have a long night ahead of us. Get your sword. There's little time to waste."

8

The mountain was breathtaking, like something that would be on a postcard. Above the low peak the sky faded from orange, pink, red, purple, and then the deep indigo of night. Tall pines covered the entire surface of this low mountain. And a fine dew had begun to settle along ground and above on the needles and leaves of the trees.

Two people dropped into existence on a wide dirt path cutting through the woods at the mountain's base.

Kenshin stood at the bottom of the hazy mountain looking up its side. 'I don't see anything,' he thought, 'just lots of really tall trees.'

Haru rested his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder and pointed between two tall pines "There, that is the entrance. Just go all the way up the steps and into the shrine. Don't let anyone see you, preferably not even your target. I'll be waiting here. Try not to take to long or I'll worry." He ruffled Kenshin's fiery hair.

Kenshin glared at him.

"Haru raised his hands in apology, "sorry, sorry, just kidding. Take your time."

Kenshin squared his shoulders and marched between the two trees.

As soon as he passed under the boughs of the two pines, a path in the darkened forest melted into existence. Neat stone steps lead up the side of the small mountain. When Kenshin looked behind he saw a red painted archway, on the other side stood Haru, waiting patiently for Kenshin to finish his task. 'I couldn't see any of this from the other side. It must be some sort of spell.' Kenshin marveled at this as he turned and swiftly ascended the steps.

As he drew near the house Kenshin followed around the outside of the gate in the deep shadows of the forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of his target. There was no one outside, but he could see two faint lights on opposing ends of the house. 'More than one person is home,' he thought anxiously. 'I hope I choose the right one.' Kenshin silently slipped over the gate and crept towards the nearest light.

8

"I'll be in bed soon" promised Hiroshi as Keiko stood with a yawn. She smiled at her husband.

"See that you are, or I'll be asleep before I can give you your last present" she winked coyly and left her husband to marvel at his gift.

He sat quietly thinking for a few moments when the door opened again.

"Can't wait for me to get to bed huh?" he asked slyly without turning.

"Hiroshi Kazeshima," said a flat voice.

Hiroshi whipped his head around in surprise to see, not his wife, as he expected, but an unfamiliar boy.

Hiroshi stood tall and faced the adolescent. "What are you doing inside my home?" he asked, in an authoritative voice.

"Are you Hiroshi Kazeshima?" he repeated.

Hiroshi's eyes narrowed, "I am. Who are you?"

"That does not matter. I have come to kill you. Prepare yourself." Kenshin drew his sword and leapt towards the man. Hiroshi's eyes widened at the sight of the sword and he stumbled backwards upsetting the fur lined basket. Still he managed to pull a dagger free from his belt. It was a futile effort. Kenshin easily ducked around him with lightening speed and sliced open his back before Hiroshi had even begun to turn. He fell down to his hands and knees and gasping for air. Kenshin stalked around to his front and waited momentarily for the man to stand. Hiroshi looked up at Kenshin with wide fearful eyes.

"Why?" he asked quietly still gasping.

"Orders" said Kenshin simply. He drove his sword through the prostrate man's neck, silencing him. The body fell with a thunk next to the basket on the wood floor.

Kenshin turned his dulled eyes to the side where the basket sat. It hadn't been knocked over by Hiroshi's fall as it had a wide base. Speckles of blood were strewn across the surface of the dark object nestled snugly in its middle. Even as Kenshin begun to turn away a crack appeared on its surface. The drops of red on the outside of the shell seemed to sink into the opening. It lay still for a moment and then the basket and the thing inside it began to tremble as more fissures appeared on its shell. Kenshin took a step back, staring wide eyed at the phenomenon. After only seconds fascination overtook his surprise and he was suddenly on his hands and knees next to the basket leaning over the shaking thing.

A small chunk fell from the egg's shell. Kenshin realized now that was what it must be, but he was clueless as to what it contained. He could see movement through the small hole in the shell.

Kenshin flinched as pieces of it exploded outward a few sticking to his cheek. Absently he brushed them off with the front of his hand. He was busy staring at the contents of the basket.

Where the egg once sat there was a long serpent-like creature. It was covered in what looked like-

'feathers?' wondered Kenshin. Its dark coat gleamed in the low light of the room. 'Not a snake' he observed as he took in the creature's appearance.

Four short legs each with feet ending in three delicate white claws protruded from its long snake-like body. Two long thick whiskers extended from the sides of its nose and hung limply down to the ground as it lifted its head wearily

Weakly the creature turned its head towards Kenshin and opened two large golden eyes. Its first sight in the world was of Kenshin's face with his violet eyes wide and a smear of blood across his cheek.

'It kind of looks like a dragon,' thought Kenshin as he smiled kindly at the beast. 'Like the stone ones I've seen guarding shrines around here.'

"Master" a voice, maybe the wind, brushed against Kenshin's ear.

The blood-haired boy looked around the room in alarm searching for the source of the voice. Finally his gaze settled back on the golden eyed serpent. It was watching him with a steady gaze.

"Uh, did you say something?" asked Kenshin quietly. He felt stupid talking to an animal.

"Master" whispered the strange voice once more. It was strange, like both a man and woman were speaking at once. He recognized one of the voices. Kenshin looked over at Hiroshi's body, 'still dead, but it sure sounded like him.'

The dragon weakly struggled to pull itself up the side of the basket. Kenshin reached out a hand to help, but stopped when he noticed his hand was stained in red. Confused he looked down at the floor where it had previously rested. All around the body and the basket where Kenshin knelt red was spread across the wood planks like a stagnant pond.

If Hiroshi's body had been a prison and his blood the captive then his death freed it and the blood leapt to escape its container. Only now that the blood was free there was nowhere to run to. So there it lay, soaking into the ancient floorboards of his earthly home and sticking to the clothes of its liberator.

Kenshin could feel bile rising in his throat, 'What am I still doing here? I have to leave before someone comes looking. Hastily he pushed off of the floor to leave, but his legs had fallen asleep and the blood on the floor was slippery. Kenshin stumbled a few feet and fell to his knees. He had to force himself to breath deeply.

'I don't like this place,' thought Kenshin desperately. The full weight of his actions were finally pressing in on him. He refused to look at the blank face of the dead man that was only a few feet from him. He had enough to remember as it was.

A weight settled across his shoulders. Kenshin blinked. The little newborn dragon had draped herself there with her delicate tail curling around the curve of his neck.

His desperation gone, Kenshin met her eyes curiously, 'How did you get there?' he thought, momentarily forgetting his burning anxiety as he looked into her catlike amber eyes.

Nearing footsteps rang in Kenshin's sensitive ears, pulling him into the present.

"No witnesses," Kenshin muttered to himself. Like a shadow he slipped through the door.

8888

'That was easy,' he thought as he leapt over the gate.

Kenshin had only retreated partway down the steps when a shriek so overflowing in pain filled his ears, that he raised his bloodied hands to his ears and increased his speed to a full sprint. The sound was burned in his mind even after it had fallen into silence.

When he passed under the enchanted gate Haru emerged from the trees across the road. His voice was clearly annoyed when he spoke his greeting.

"Himura, took you long enough." Once he was within three paces of Kenshin his obstinate demeanor fell away and was replaced with a worried one.

"Are you alright? You're covered in blood."

"It's not mine" answered Kenshin quietly, looking down at his hands

"Kami! What did you do, take a bath in the guy's blood" Haru said disbelievingly.

Kenshin didn't answer as he stared at a point past the older man's shoulder.

Haru's exclamation was entirely justified. Kenshin's once pale grey hakama was stained from the knees down in red from where he'd knelt on the floor. Blood was also smeared across his face and his hands were covered in the coppery substance. He'd already tried to wipe it off. All that accomplished was getting his clothes dirtier. Once he realized it wouldn't come off so easily, he stopped trying and did his best to ignore it. But it was hard when every place the dead man's blood touched his skin pulsed irregularly, constantly making its unwelcome presence known.

Haru rolled his eyes at Kenshin's stoic response and fished a letter out of his gi. He held it out to the red haired boy. When Kenshin touched the dark paper both he and Haru vanished.

In the wake of the night the quiet tranquility of the trees belied the once full house away up on the side of the lonely mountain. The sun rose unnoticed the next day on the broken home. Its light would give them no warmth today.

8888

(again 2 years in the future)

Megumi glared at her cousin, "Kaoru, You know we're not allowed outside the castle."

The younger of the two girls puffed out her cheeks in frustration and glared back. "I know!" that's why I'm going to ask Sibi-nee to let us. I'm five and you just turned seven. I think they should let us outside.

"By ourselves?" asked Megumi incredulously. "They'd never let us do that," but excitement was filling her cinnamon eyes. Neither one of the girls felt any compulsion to follow the rules. Especially if Megumi decided they could get away with it. Often it happened this way, with Kaoru first suggesting an idea and her cousin deciding whether or not to act on it.

"We could do it in the morning," suggested Megumi, "when everyone's still sleeping.

"What if they wake up and see us?" asked Kaoru with a grin, seeing that she had won her cousin over.

Megumi leaned closer "We'll be quiet and besides, we won't be outside that long. We'll be back before lunch."

"Yay!" Kaoru jumped up and down, "we're going o-"

Her jubilance was cut off as Megumi clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh. We don't want anyone to know," she hissed in her younger cousin's ear while looking about the room. It was empty except for the presence of its two conspirators and the resident kitten portrait that slept uninterestedly on the wall above the fireplace.

Kaoru immediately sobered, her eyes still shining.

"We'll get up early and leave through the window." Megumi pointed to the large balcony outside their shared room.

Kaoru's face drooped, "I already tried. There's a spell to keep us from climbing up on the railing."

"Oh" Megumi paused, "we can use a different window then."

"Why don't we use a door?"

"Because they watch the doors silly. We'd never be able to get out that way."

Kaoru pondered this for a moment and finally gave up, shrugging her little shoulders. "It's more fun using a window anyway."

"Good it's settled then!" Megumi said happily as the girls settled down on the plush rug near the balcony to further discuss their plans.

8888

(present)

Kenshin stared at the pommel of his now sheathed sword. To him it looked the same. A month of _in depth_ use and still it still remained unchanged. 'At least to me' Kenshin thought, 'but I see it every day. What would my master think…' as his thoughts trailed unwillingly onto that less traveled path he shook his head and rose from his reclined position on the veranda against the wall. He had escaped outside hoping the green of the garden would divert his mind from his upcoming assignment. Now that even the outdoors seemed too small to constrain his thoughts Kenshin felt no loss at heading in for the final debriefing.

8888

In the failing light the boy blended with the elongating shadows as he slid across the dark carpet of grass. The assignment this time was located in a towering estate on the edge of Kyoto. The building was a traditional Japanese beauty with curved corners and red tile roofing. In the longer wavelengths of visible light it shone a crimson hue, testament to the coming bloodshed.

Kenshin noted the strange mix of European and Japanese carriages and automobiles around the steps leading to the main entrance. He sat crouched behind the wall of a lesser used stable.

'Dinner party,' he noted, 'the target will be harder to find alone. There are also guards at every door.' He growled in frustration. 'If I raise any kind of alarm they'll line up like cattle to be slaughtered.'

Airashii stirred on his shoulder and Kenshin looked over at her in surprise. 'You've been awfully quiet lately', he thought, annoyed by the innocent dragon's presence. 'I have enough trouble as it is focusing on the assignment in the first place.' Airashii could sense Kenshin's dismissal of her presence and glared at her chosen master. Kenshin pointedly ignored the tiny feathered creature as he furiously recalled the details of his mission.

"_Obviously your target is foreign. Though I'm sure you knew that by the characters even before you read the name. We've been specially asked by our allies in England to take care of him."_

_She took a breath before diving into the explanation, "He's a German ambassador, an infamous dark wizard who's come to keep relations strong with his allies here in Japan. He'll be the only foreign there so no problem recognizing him."_

_"As a muggle you have little knowledge of such potions and disguises as will be necessary in this particular mission, but before I explain these to you, I must stress that Grindelwald's reputation precedes him. He is known to be a powerful empath. You must hold your feelings in tight control on this mission. Anger and fear, are most likely not big worries for you," here she smiled fondly at the red-head, "but indefinitely more subtle feelings such as confusion, and doubt might be dangerous to feel." She paused watching the boy steadily. "I think you can handle this mission, but because of the danger involved I will give you a choice in this case. Please take into account that the risk to anyone other than yourself will be much higher, as you are our most skilled fighter who still remains unknown to the enemy." _

_Dai waited for Kenshin to nod his understanding before launching into her next set of instructions. She cleared her throat and began…_

'How do I get a hair from one of these wizards without alerting all of them?' Kenshin stared at the house in a quandary. After about two minutes he gave up and sighed. 'I'll just have to figure it out once I'm inside.' The adolescent stood and followed a line around the edges of the property. He was very conscious of the open space as it left him open to the eyes of his enemy. Thankfully there was a garden around the back of the towering building with a high line of neatly manicured bushes. They had obviously been grown as blinders from the rest of the city. For Kenshin's purpose they served to cast a deep shadow in which he could safely stay. He crouched like a cat watching the groups of people milling about the garden near the doors. No one seemed to stray very far from the house. The groups consisted of men with laughing women on their arms, pairs obviously married, and single men in friendly conversation. Kenshin could see no malicious planning going on here nor could he see any man or woman, for that matter, who was not Japanese.

Kenshin swore mentally 'I hate waiting.' He noted the waitress serving the drinks. 'If only the guests would wander nearer. Then I could easily claim the waitress's position and have easy access to every guest in the entire building. Except…I don't want to become a woman.' He gulped feeling his face heat up. 'I'd have to change into her clothes.' He looked down at his chest in dawning horror. 'I'd have…' He shook his head to rid it of that particular line of thinking before he gave himself a nosebleed. 'I'll find a suitable male. I'm NOT becoming a woman. Not for anything.'

Kenshin followed the hedge to the end of the garden and then with a watchful eye for guards and wandering guests advanced on the house and pressed in as close as possible to the building's wall. There were few windows as this building was of the ancient variety, but Kenshin paused at the ones he passed to peer inside the glass panes carefully to asses the situation. He still hadn't located his target and it was making him uneasy. This party was supposedly all in honor of the German so why didn't he just show up and prance about so Kenshin could get it over with?

He looked down at the top of the bottle tucked neatly into his belt. It was filled with a strange viscous brown liquid that bubbled every now and then. Kenshin really didn't want to drink it, but eventually he knew it would be necessary.

_"Obviously the building is old and warded to prevent magical weapons and uninvited guests from entering the property. For you to get close enough to the target you must impersonate a wizard that is invited. I leave it up to your discretion of which to choose."_

_"So I just add the hair?" Kenshin asked doubtfully. He'd never attempted a mission quite like this one before. The organization had always made the decisions for him and had any necessary items completely prepared. This was the first time he had to do it himself._

_"Yes, then you change into their clothing." _

_"And I will look exactly like this person?"_

_"Yes, but please be careful. Your body will be shaped differently. Make sure you understand your reach so that you will have complete control over your sword arm."_

When Kenshin looked up through the window again a few guests parted and he caught sight of a blond head amongst the dark.

'There he is!' Kenshin felt relieved for a moment until he remembered to control his emotions. He observed the unremarkable man from his vantage until he saw what he was looking for. A waiter walking amongst the people dressed in western clothing. 'Kenshin eyed the odd garments in consternation. I never saw anything in Tennessee that looked like that. I suppose that's how rich people dress.'

Kenshin stood and went back around the building to the hedge. Patiently he retreated as far into the shadows as possible. He reached nervously across his body for his sword before realizing it wasn't there. 'Damn! I forgot. Dai-san said swords were too hard to conceal and there would be plenty weapons available inside. I wish I had my sword. It's like a piece of me is missing.'

Kenshin didn't have to wait more than 20 minutes for the people to begin wandering further through the garden. The night was warm and comfortable with a light refreshing breeze. Soon servers were outside as well, but the German wizard didn't seem predisposed to go out. Kenshin strained his eyes to see all the way across the garden and into the building, but couldn't catch sight of the blond. He sighed, 'I really will have to use this' he thought as he looked down at the disgusting looking liquid in the bottle.

The sound of running footsteps caught Kenshin's attention and he looked up to see a young serving boy a little older than himself hurrying past to go back inside. Realizing the perfect opportunity Kenshin deftly stuck out a leg as he passed and the boy fell ungracefully on his face.

"shimata!" the boy groaned as he held his injured nose as he began to sit up, but he didn't have time to say anything more, as Kenshin struck him on the back of his head with a fist. The teen fell to the ground out cold and Kenshin, with moderate ease, drug him under the hedge to the outside of the garden. The red head crouched beside the boy and plucked a dark hair from his head. With little ceremony he pulled the stopper from the flask of brown goo at his waist and inserted the hair. He watched with disgust as the potion changed from brown to a fairer blue color.

'It doesn't look so bad,' thought Kenshin, 'at least it's not that nasty brown anymore.' He threw back his head and swallowed it all in one gulp. 'That tasted like soap. Bleg.' Any other thoughts Kenshin might have had were cut off at the coiling feeling in his stomach. The twisting sensation brought him to his knees and he gasped for air. The writhing of his insides finally subsided only to be replaced with a spreading heat all across his body. Then he felt the bones in his legs grow painfully longer and the hair on his head felt as if it was being pulled back inside his skull. Once all of the disturbing sensations ended he stood and tentatively reached up to feel his face, wishing earnestly for a mirror. As he ran his fingers through his hair Kenshin could only think of how short it had suddenly become. He looked down at the unconscious boy with a frustrated expression. 'Now I'm at least three inches taller. He can't be more than two years older than me. Grrr.'

With a huff of annoyance he bent down to begin changing into the boys clothing.

A few moments later Kenshin crawled out from under the hedge and left his own clothing folded in a neat package under the foliage. He hoped no one would find it there while he was inside. He didn't want to leave it lying around as evidence. Suddenly he remembered that the boy had been in a hurry before he was knocked out.

"I think he was going back to the kitchens," muttered Kenshin as he strode purposefully toward the entrance.

"Hey! Mura I thought I told you to hurry, we have guests waiting." Kenshin jumped slightly at the irritated voice from behind him and turned around to bow apologetically at the waitress who was glaring at him from across a bed of flowers.

"Don't waste time bowing and scraping, just go get the drinks!" The woman hissed as she gestured angrily to the entrance.

Kenshin turned and quickly jogged the rest of the way inside. However his quick progress slowed significantly when he actually got in the building. The room was somewhat crowded and he didn't want to run into any of the guests. Most of the people were dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos with the exception of a few of the men who were wearing military uniforms. Kenshin tried to observe the room covertly as he walked towards the back without looking like he was trying to find dagger hidden in a flower pot. He noted the position of the blond wizard as he finally made it through the open sliding doors into the kitchen. There was a flurry of activity inside. Cooks were busily chopping away, and servers were running about in a near frenzy. Kenshin hoped no one would pay any attention to him as he remained near the door.

The now dark haired Kenshin turned and peered around the doorframe to search the main room for the vase where a compatriot had hidden his weapon. To his dismay it was all the way on the other side of the room from the Blond German tucked into a corner far from the crowd. It would look odd for Kenshin to walk away from the people he was supposed to be serving. And worse the foreign wizard was obviously the center of attention. He was currently standing in a large circle of people, all who were peppering him with questions and complements.

'Well' Kenshin thought morosely, 'no worries about not alarming the crowd. When I kill him there'll be a thousand witnesses standing around to scream and point their fingers at me.'

"What are you doing?" came an annoyed voice from behind him. Kenshin turned to see a thin middle-aged man with a harried sallow face glaring at him.

Kenshin lied quickly. "I was counting the guests to see the number of drinks I would need to bring with me." Inwardly he groaned, 'was that the best I could come up with?'

The man gave Kenshin a funny look and pointed to the trays of drinks sitting on a table nearby. "Just take a tray and come back for more when you run out." The man said in an exasperated voice, "and stop making excuses to waste time," he added for good measure.

"Sir," said Kenshin with a slight bow. He briefly allowed relief to fill him, 'I can't believe that he let me off that easily.'

When he noticed the manager had turned away the teen walked around the table and lifted up one of the trays like he had seen the other waiters carrying them. The cook standing next to him didn't seem to notice that one of his knifes was now missing from the rack. The dutiful waiter walked through the doors to the room outside and began to cross towards the German, all the while clearing his mind of feeling.

"May I have a drink?" said a slightly accented voice to Kenshin's right. Kenshin slowed to a stop and turned carefully. He wasn't quite used to carrying this many drinks at once and didn't want to draw attention to himself by spilling the whole tray.

"Of course Sir." Kenshin lowered the tray and let the man take a long stemmed glass. Kenshin began to move away when he spoke again, bringing yet more attention to his strangely accented Japanese.

"It's a beautiful evening" The man said conversationally.

"Yes certainly" Kenshin replied as he shifted his weight onto the other leg impatiently. From the corner of his eye he could see the blond man moving away from him, probably to talk to another group of friends.

"Have you met the guest of honor yet?" questioned the commonly dark haired Japanese man.

Kenshin looked up at the finely dressed man (all the people at the party are dressed finely) and studied his simple smiling expression, looking for traces that he knew more than he should.

"No, I have only seen him from a distance," answered Kenshin shortly once he deemed the man as not being a threat.

"Oh, what a shame, Grindle-san issuch an intresting man too." The man slurred the last few words and Kenshin blinked.

'Is he drunk or something?' wondered Kenshin.

"What did you say your name was Waiter-san?" asked the man in barely understandable Japanese.

"Mura" Kenshin said evenly, his attention now entirely focused on the strange person in front of him.

After a few moments of the man prattling on in that same odd accent, introducing himself and making small talk about the weather, Kenshin's curiosity finally got the best of him, "What part of Japan are you from Sir? I don't recognize your accent," he interrupted in the middle of the man's second introduction. Kenshin still hadn't managed to catch his name. He hadn't really been listening to the words themselves so much as their annunciation.

"Oh, here'n'there say wh-"

"Yabu-sama! There you are. I've been looking for you" said a pretty raven haired woman as she rushed across the room and latched herself on the drunken man's arm.

Kenshin took this as an opportunity to get away from the couple. Originally he thought an hour would be plenty of time to finish the task, but if people kept stopping him he would have to pull something drastic before he turned back into his red-haired self.

Kenshin made his way carefully across the room towards the German ambassador. He still felt like he was walking on stilts in the taller teen's body and had to be extra conscious of his longer legs.

Kenshin was sure to offer a drink to anyone he passed. He readied himself as he came closer to the blond. His right hand was casually draped inside the left lapel of his suit while the other held the tray of drinks aloft. He stopped behind the German and offered drinks to a group of women who stood tittering and laughing quietly with their beautifully decorated paper fans held up, effectively hiding their conversation from the passer by. He listened to the conversation between the German and the small group of Japanese guests, biding his time for an opportune moment. They seemed blissfully unaware of the predator in their midst calmly serving them drinks. Strangely Kenshin now played the part the proverbial dragon in wolf's clothing as he stood amongst the plotters and executioners.

"So how's the war going on your end Grindle-san," said a portly man richly dressed in a maroon silk Kimono with a dark gold obi. His tone was light and jovial, a result of the warm sake and fine European wines readily served by 'Mura' and his fellow servants.

The light-haired man laughed and replied in similar spirits, "Very well, Your country is doing it's part and we have begun to cleanse our nation and others around it."

"Oh? Who have you started with?" queried a woman dressed in a lovely jade kimono embroidered with plum blossoms.

"Well Muggles as you know are easily controlled," he began. There was a chorus of nods and affirmative hmms and ahhs all around the circle of conversers.

"We merely played upon their hatred of one particular religious group, then upon the disabled, and now we have spurred them to encamp anyone out of the ordinary." Here he paused for effect and then continued. "Of course they are unaware of our control. And the ones who are, are too afraid to say anything. It is quite the agreeable situation. In the end there will only be the executioners to be rid of." He stopped his speech and sipped his wine delicately.

"I am glad to hear that in your country things are going so well," said a tall dark man in a white gi and dark hakama pants, "Here it will be far more difficult to remove the unmagical persons from our society. They are not so unaware of our existence as those in Germany."

"Well, once we have conquered all of Europe, We'll be glad to assist you." The ambassador winked and raised his glass in a toast. The others laughed heartily and followed his example.

After they had all downed their drinks and retrieved more from the servant boy nearby. Another woman in the group opened up the conversation again with a question.

"How is it that you are able to understand those strange riddles the seers often speak in? I always wondered at the divinations in the history books. They never seem to make sense until applied to the events after the fact. There is so much room for misinterpretation."

The blond smiled amiably at the woman and then opened his mouth in reply, "We have people to do the interpreting for us and-," he stopped suddenly with an odd expression on his face. Unexpectedly he jerked and the group watched in confusion as his drink slipped from his fingers and broke on the expensive imported Chinese rug. One woman turned immediately to retrieve another from the attentive boy who had been waiting on them moments before, only to find he was nowhere to be seen. Gasps and the sound of something heavy dropping drew her attention back to the guest of honor, who was currently being lowered gently the rest of the way to the floor by the tall dark Japanese man. He was unconscious and soon it was apparent why. The dark color of his navy officer's uniform had disguised the blood quickly staining his back, but the red substance could not be mistaken for anything but what it was once it touched the white sleeve of the man who caught him.

Kenshin resolutely wove his way between the people towards the garden outside. Now that the empath was taken care of he allowed himself to feel relief that it had gone so smoothly. When he broke into the outdoors he took a deep breath of the night air and continued towards the bush where he knew his clothing and the unconscious boy lay hidden. Kenshin clenched his fingers around the wooden handle of the blood stained kitchen knife hidden in his vest. He wanted desperately to hurl the thing away from him. He hated having anything bloody near his skin. Even though his shirt was a barrier between him and the knife it still made him feel dirty.

"Mura! my most excellent listener." Greeted a familiar voice, now devoid of its thick accent.

Kenshin mentally gritted his teeth and turned around with a pleasant smile affixed to his face. "Yabu-sama." He greeted formally. This time the blathering man was not alone. He had with him another couple and the same raven haired woman from before.

"Oh so formal! You are a polite one. I suppose that is why they hired you. You get the job done yessir, and with little fuss." He paused as a several terrified screams broke out behind him from the inside of the building. "Oh dear I do hope there aren't any centipedes crawling about inside scaring the ladies."

(centipedes are a common pest in Japan. Kind of like ants and spiders in the US. At least that is what I have been told)

His other companions stiffened and looked as if they did hope that it was only centipedes causing the yelling. Their eyes were wide in dread as they looked back into the house. Yabu's raven haired companion, looking especially terrified, spoke quietly to the other couple.

"You don't think it's _him_ do you?" fear was plain in her whispered voice. "The one who no one will talk about. The killing shadow. No one alive has seen his face."

"Oh don't be ridiculous child." Said Yabu soothingly as he continued to watch Kenshin. "There are no murdering shadows here, right Mura-san." The man's gaze was entirely too intent upon him and that thick accent was back. He was saved from answering when the man's next comment threw cold water over his thoughts "Weren't you taller last time I spoke to you?" He quieried innocently with his voice back to normal, "And you know" he paused tilting his head to the side, "the moonlight certainly gives your hair a different look to it. I was convinced it was completely black when we were inside but now-"

Kenshin backed away from the man quickly. He was unable to keep his eyes from widening slightly. To cover his blunder he slowed his movements and bowed politely. "I am sorry Yabu-sama but I need to retrieve more drinks from the kitchen…and… I believe I heard someone calling my name just now, forgive me." Kenshin turned and practically ran away from the group, taking a path that lead him out of their sight around a group of frightened women. He ducked under the nearest hedge dropping the mostly empty tray on the dark turf under the green barrier. The glasses made little more than a few clinking noises as they rolled onto the ground. As Kenshin emerged on the outside of the garden he hurled the kitchen knife away as far as he could and then pushed up his sleeves which had become a bit too long. He moved quickly around the outside to where the boy sill lay. He stripped off the servant's clothes and quickly pulled on his own. His once again brilliant blood red hair now hung around his face as he pulled on his familiar navy gi. He had lost his hair tie in the process of changing into the servant boy. He knew it was around somewhere but he didn't want to waste anymore time looking for it.

Kenshin ran around the hedge towards the stable and paused before leaving the concealment of the bushes. He knew they must be watching for someone trying to leave. It was with great caution and speed that he proceeded into the open stretch between the hedge and the stable. Surprisingly he met no resistance. There was a tense moment when he thought he saw one of the guards missing from their post, but when he looked back again the distant shape of the guard was back in place.

Once he'd rounded the stable and crossed the border of the expansive property Kenshin pulled the black letter from a pocket he'd clumsily sewn into his sleeve and, still running, vanished into the cooling night air.

8888

On the opposite side of that fated city in an ancient well kept house enclosed in the center of a blossoming ornamental garden none of the panic or confusion of this night was able to climb over the ivy covered walls. Nothing from the outside could cut through its sense of timelessness and peace. War and death did not enter here. Something, perhaps an illusion, kept them at bay, howling on the other side of the high walls. Huff and puff as the losses and pain of war might, they could not blow down the gates of this mansion. Why did the war continue it's futile attempt to gain entrance? Perhaps because it had not yet tried knocking. This family would gladly open its doors for such an honored guest.

"Would you have me enter the military?" Questioned Akira in a disbelieving voice. His intelligent dark eyes carefully masked the stirrings of unseen feelings entering his lungs.

In the silence that followed the pining man received his answer. He would do anything to have her.

Akira watched Tomoe, his beautiful flower. She sat impassive and without a glance in his direction. Her beautifully crafted features were schooled into familiar impassive tones. Her crimson and white kimono and midnight hair served to heighten her beyond fair complexion.

As he studied her faultless appearance from his seat the beginnings of unease and resolution were making their presence known. It was not his wish to convince only her parents that they should marry. Then he would have a bitter wife and his children would have to choose which parent to hate and which to love.

She had not yet answered or even responded to his proposal. He sighed inwardly. Akira had not wanted to resort to this, but he knew he must if he were to gain her full respect and love.

"Because you so plainly wish it of me, I will to join the military under your father's command."

Akira Kiyasato did not want to join the military. Especially now in a time of war when Japan was no longer safe, but Tomoe held an enormous respect for the emperor's forces. Her family could trace its roots back easily on both her mother's and father's side as direct descendents of the emperor. And all through those thousands of years past human memory her family remained protectors of the emperor and his vassals. That meant no daughter of the Yukishiro family would marry anyone who was not a patriot and a soldier of Japan.

Tomoe had plenty of suitors, but truly she loved this man before her.

'I will not disappoint my parents when I know Kiyasato will do anything for my hand.' So Tomoe sat until she heard Akira's professed intention to join the army.

Tomoe looked up at her suitor where he sat at a respectful distance across the room and smiled. "You may have my virtue. I will tell my father and then you will guard it along with your own until our wedding ceremony."

Akira let out a breath as his great joy left no room in his chest for it. Joyfully he raised his thoughts to the fortunate consequences of his choice.

'I have made the right decision then. Tomoe is worth every moment I will have to spend in battle. Her respect for the emperor's army will certainly earn me more of her affection.'

In his happiness Akira once again directed his attention to his new fiancé.

"Tell me anata(fiancé/wife/husband) in what form is your virtue, a hairpin, a bracelet, a ring?" asked Akira in happiness. Excitement suffused his every word. He knew it must be beautiful. No ancient family would disgrace their daughter by putting a piece of her soul within an inferior trinket.

She smiled mysteriously, "I do not know. I am not a man and so I cannot wear mine out in the open as you do, lest it be stolen from me. My father guards it and even I do not know its appearance or shape."

"I always found it strange that anyone would try to steal virtue from a woman. considering the penalty for doing so." Akira spoke in a more relaxed tenor now that she had accepted him.

"If women were not so beautiful men would not risk death to own them."

"That is very true," said Akira in total agreement. 'very true indeed.'

8

Five months later in the month of February near the end of winter in a very different place far from the rocky island of Japan a broken family sat in their kitchen watching the dying light of the sun ripple colors across the sky. The charming cottage was prettily situated in the green English countryside not far from London. The grass outside, despite the time of year, was as thick as a carpet and very welcoming to bare feet.

Tatsu smiled at Sybill from where he sat across the table. His wife Kaori was chasing Kaoru about outside. The toddler laughed as her mother gently tackled her and showered the squealing girl with kisses.

"They will have to come in soon" commented the young woman to her brother-in-law, "it's almost dark." The two lapsed into comfortable silence both content to watch the other two play outside until the last rays of the sun no longer lit the sky. The weather was unseasonably warm and comfortable for February. It was almost as if the Kamiyas brought the sunshine with them. Sybill certainly had a hard time of it on her own, and Megumi was inconsolable.

When they'd heard about the fire it was like a bad joke. Little Megumi didn't understand and Sybill was so shocked that she had to ask the unlucky messenger to repeat himself. Her older sister Rachael and her brother-in-law Itsuma left only for the weekend, so that they could spend a few more days in their home together before they left Japan permanently. They said the country had become unsafe for foreigners and made Sybill and Megumi leave for their cottage in England. Thank God they had made Megumi come. The little girl had practically begged her father to let her stay and he had nearly given in, but the five-year-old's mother had been resolute, so both of their charges were sent to England. Rachael must have known that she herself was in danger.

Sybill shuddered away from the thought of her sister. It was better not to think of her too much, but she couldn't keep the voice inside her head quiet for long.

'The one thing I can't understand is why two full grown magic users where unable to escape a simple fire. Why couldn't they put it out, or put a barrier around themselves?'

Sybill thought she knew the answer and it came unwillingly to the surface of her mind almost as if it had been spoken to her.

'They were murdered,'

This thought surprisingly didn't make her angry. She didn't have the strength left to feel that particular emotion, but she knew it would come later.

'I've lost my parents and now my sister and her husband. Megumi keeps asking for them. It's like someone wants this family to be left without anyone to protect it. Who will be left when the war is finished? Will I be alone or…'

Sybill looked up at Tatsu and then out the window at Kaoru and her mother.

'but I'm not the only one hurting.' Suddenly she remembered her young cousin and sighed. Sybill didn't know how to handle the little girl's grief when she was dealing with her own. Her own parents had died three years prior and had been in fact among the first casualties of the war. Sybill had just begun to feel like she belonged with this family when it too was broken.

Yet again she was beyond grateful that her Itsuma's brother Tatsu, his wife and daughter were staying with her and Megumi. Sybill knew that they would stay as long as she needed them, but then what? She was fifteen, old enough in the wizarding world to care for herself as long as she had an official guardian, but she didn't feel prepared to be responsible for another person, especially a grieving five-year-old.

'Tatsu thinks I am ready. I wonder what he sees in me?'

She looked up in time to notice the man in question watching her with a gentle smile. Sybill smiled weakly back at him. She didn't have the energy to do much more. It had been an exhausting day.

"Your heart is heavy" he said in that odd way he always had about him. Sybill rubbed her forehead. There was a familiar pressure building behind her eyes and she didn't want to think anymore. It seemed all she did now was cry. It was useless really, didn't solve anything, just left a knot in your stomach and irritated your eyes.

"I don't wish to add to your burden" he said, his own voice full of emotion, "but I have had a dream" he fell silent and looked out the window at his happy wife. "This is not the end of your losses." His dark eyes met her own and Sybill knew, she just knew.

"What are you trying to say?" dread made her choke on the question.

"Kaori doesn't know," he swallowed. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. His hands which were previously resting calmly in his lap grasped fistfuls of his hakama as he bent his head forward, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I… I've never hated my gift before, but this…" he took a shuddering breath and looked up at Sybill, who was watching him like a dear in the headlights. He swallowed with difficulty and told her.

"Kaori will be getting sick soon" he paused staring through glass surface of the table into a far away place. "she won't live through it."

His words were desolate, devoid of hope.

"I… don't understand…you've seen this." Sybill was so confused.

"Yes, there is nothing I or anyone else can do." Tatsu watched Kaoru, who was dancing around his laughing young wife like a fairy. His eyes memorized every detail of the scene like a starving man at his last meal.

Sybill felt an irrational anger welling up in her throat. "You've done everything? How do you know you can't save her? Isn't she worth more to you than that?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Immediately after saying those words Sybill wished that she could take them back.

"I'm sorry brother, I know Kaori is worth more to you than your own life." Sybill took a shaky breath. "You're sure there's nothing you can do to prevent it or…or maybe give her a few more years. Kaoru and Megumi and … and I need a mother."

Tatsu sagged in his chair at her words and the weight of his own loss, "No," he replied, "I've tried everything, but I don't want to make her suspicious. I cannot prevent this. I don't know why I can see the future when I can change NOTHING," he spat the last word out like a curse.

Sybill watched him wearily, ' he's grieving his wife's death before it even happens'

"I…I can't begin to understand how you must feel" her voice was weak as she asked her next question. "Why are you telling me this?"

He sniffed and cleared his throat, "I have something for you." Tatsu reached into his gi and pulled out a narrow wooden box with Japanese characters engraved all around its surface.

Sybill could feel the powerful magic from where she sat. Gingerly she took the box from his outstretched hand and traced the unfamiliar carvings with a finger. "It's beautiful. What's inside that needs such powerful protection?"

"Kaoru's dowry, I had it made the day she was born." He lifted his heavy gaze from the box and met her eyes. "Keep it safe until she is old enough to protect it herself."

"Why can't you-"

He cut her off, "Please…just keep it for me."

Sybill closed her mouth and looked down at the box with awe. "I am honored. Thank

you Tatsu. I will protect Kaoru's virtue with my life."

The older man exhaled in relief and managed a small smile, "thank you, I am in your debt."

"You owe me nothing, your kindness has repaid me many times over."

The door opened and closed. "Koishii," Kaori appeared next to Sybill with a sleepy eyed Kaoru in her arms. The graceful woman's comforting presence filled the room like a perfume. "It is time for Kaoru's bath. I thought you might like to help."

"Of course Love. I'll go run the bathwater." Tatsu stood and left the darkening room.

Kaori watched her husband disappear up the stairs before turning her attention to her sister-in-law. She stroked Sybill's hair comfortingly with her free hand and smiled softly down at the girl with her indigo eyes. "Everything will get better I promise. Nothing stays sad forever." Then she left the room. Sybill sat alone in the dark, eyes dry, wishing with all her heart that what her sister said was the truth.

End

Any comments from my brothers will have to wait for a bit…not that anyone reads those inane comments anyway. Seriously 'viagris giganticus' What kind of mind comes up with that? Don't answer that.

To my few reviewers thank you for your reading my story past the first paragraph. And if you see any misspelled names, please email me with the information instead of mentioning it in the review. I'm still recovering from the embarrassment of spelling Dumbledore's name without the 'e' at the end.


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